Quad Ministers Pledge Cooperation on Critical Minerals Amid China Jitters

The US, Japan, India and Australia pledged on July 1 to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, as worries grow over China's dominance in resources vital to new technologies.

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WASHINGTON -

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed his counterparts from the so-called Quad to Washington in a shift of focus to Asia, after spending much of his first six months in office on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and on President Donald Trump's domestic priorities such as migration.

The four countries said in a joint statement that they were establishing the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, aimed at "collaborating on securing and diversifying" supply chains.

They offered few details but made clear that the goal was to reduce reliance on China, which has used restrictions as leverage as the US, in turn, curbs Beijing's access to semiconductors and as Mr. Trump threatens steep tariffs - including on Quad countries.

"Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation and supply chain disruptions," the statement said.