China Proposes Green Minerals Initiative at G20 Summit 2025
During the G20 Summit 2025 (#G20Summit2025), Chinese Premier LI Qiang put forward the International Economic and Trade Cooperation Initiative on Green Mining and Minerals. To date, 19 countries, mostly from the #GlobalSouth, are going along with the idea. Taking an indirect swipe at President Trump — who was markedly absent — Premier Li urged the world to uphold free trade and multilateralism, as opposed to unilateralism and erecting trade barriers.
“We must promote mutually beneficial cooperation and peaceful use of major mineral industries. We must enhance cooperation in the green industry, keeping industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded… We should optimize profit distribution at each stage of the industrial and supply chains and better protect the interests of developing countries.”
China Premier LI Qiang
In a statement released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar as well as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have agreed to join the Initiative. On the other hand, Angola and Zambia, amongst others, have decided to join the United Front on Critical Minerals led by the USA.
The main objective of the GMA is to stabilize the supply of #CriticalMinerals, including #RareEarths. The Initiative’s actions will focus on:
- Create a stable policy environment
- Liberalize green trade
- Fulfill social responsibilities
- Expand beneficiary groups
- Deepen technological exchanges
- Strengthen investment cooperation
- Deepen multilateral mechanisms
Most observers interpret the move by China as a response by the #GlobalNorth to bring about a united front on #CriticalMinerals in order to derisk from China and diversify the Global Supply Chains (GSC). China managed to get out of the tariff stranglehold imposed by the US, thanks in great part to its dominance in rare earths.
“A world powered by renewables is a world hungry for critical minerals. For developing countries, critical minerals are a critical opportunity – to create jobs, diversify economies, and dramatically boost revenues. But only if they are managed properly. The race to net zero cannot trample over the poor. The renewables revolution is happening – but we must guide it towards justice.”
UN SG Antonio Gutteres
The G20 has its own Critical Minerals Framework, but due to sometimes diverging interests among member states, converging perspectives are getting few and far between. The UN has also launched a Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals with 35 countries and various stakeholder organizations. In September 2025, the Panel released a report entitled “Resourcing the Energy Transition: Principles to Guide Critical Energy Transition Minerals Towards Equity and Justice.”
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the top countries with the largest reserves of rare earth elements (#REE) are: China, Myanmar, India, and Australia. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) highlighted that on the global scale, China mines 70% of rare earths, refines 90%, and makes 95% of the rare earth magnets. At #G20Summit2025, Critical Minerals was a key topic on the agenda, with Africa and the #GlobalSouth pushing to get a larger slice of the pie through Local Value Addition (LVA).