Mining Investor Says US Must Outspend China on Critical Minerals

A US-backed mining investor warned that Washington must outspend Beijing on critical minerals projects to challenge China’s dominance of global supply chains.

Western governments are still moving too slowly in securing supplies of lithium, rare earths and other materials vital for defense industries, according to Brian Menell, a South African mining veteran who heads TechMet Ltd.

“We have to out-innovate the Chinese and out-fund the Chinese,” Menell said in an interview on the sidelines of the Future Resilience Forum in London.

Menell’s comments come after renewed tensions between Washington and Beijing rattled markets ahead of next week’s meeting ...