However, the development that the Chinese government wants to stimulate has already begun. Already in 2022 wrote that Institute of German Economics (IW) in Cologne in an analysis: “China has expanded its importance as a supplier and sales market for Germany, but is now only dependent on intermediate products from Germany to a decreasing extent.” This development could now gain momentum.
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In order to understand why this could be particularly dangerous for Germany, it is worth understanding what lies behind the term “critical raw materials”. These include rare earths, nickel, platinum, lithium and tungsten: These raw materials are required in many industries, such as aerospace, defense and renewable energy. They are therefore indispensable for the transformation of the economy. The Federal Republic sources a large proportion of these materials from China.