Statement on Critical Raw Materials

December 12, 2023
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We, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, firmly believe that de-risking by reducing our countries’ dependencies on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a strategic imperative.

In this context, we pledge to work together to ensure secure, ethical and sustainable access to critical raw materials, including in extraction and processing.

Critical raw materials are crucial for the green transition and future economic growth. However, the PRC controls a significant part of the critical raw materials global value chain, leading to market imbalances, distortionary practices and strategic dependencies.

Moreover, according to numerous credible reports, there are serious allegations of environmental and human rights abuses by Chinese companies, while investments under the PRC’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are further marred by corruption, unsustainable debt and undermining of the rule of law.

Trade and investment should be mutually beneficial and support sustainable development both, in developing and developed countries.

We, therefore, call on our governments, in cooperation with the private sector, to:

  1. Strengthen coordination on investments into critical raw materials projects
  • Generate sustainable investment alternatives to the BRI, including, through investment banks and the private sector
  • Maintain up to date geological surveys
  • Create synergy between critical raw materials projects and infrastructure programmes
  1. Reduce dependencies on the PRC in both the extraction and processing of critical raw materials
  • Develop a programme of grants, loans or tax credits for companies looking to expand production capacity and diversify supply chains
  • Strengthen provisions for screening of foreign direct investments
  • Boost circularity through a system of collection, separation and recycling of critical raw material
  1. Uphold the highest environmental and human rights standards
  • Utilise the use of recognised certification schemes for responsible mining
  • Support sustainability programmes and engagement with local communities
  • Implement corporate due diligence and social responsibility frameworks

Signed By:

Miriam Lexmann, MEP

Mykola Knyazhytskyy, MP

Oleksandr Merezhko, MP

Avdullah Hoti, MP

Sen. Andre Gattolin

Sen. Barry Ward

Catalin Tenita, MP

Sen. James Paterson

François-Xavier Bellamy, MEP

Sen. Malcolm Byrne

Rep. Georges Dallemagne

Sen. Eduardo Nakayama

Sen. Gustavo Leite

Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, MEP

Michael Brand, MdB

Clr. Elisabet Lann

Engin Eroglu, MEP

Guri Melby, MP

Lucy Akello, MP

Sen. Olivier Cadic

Boris Mijatovic, MdB

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, MP

Stewart McDonald, MP

Fatmir Mediu, MP

Sen. Pavel Fischer

Rep. Samuel Cogolati

Morten Messerschmidt, MP

Antonio Miloshoski, MP

Tom Van Der Lee, MP

Eva Decroix, MP

Fabian Molina, MP

Reinhard Bütikofer, MEP

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