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China’s Yunnan province highlighted as lifeline for strategic minerals

Researchers say Yunnan can reduce China’s reliance on the Strait of Malacca by securing critical mineral supplies through land routes.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Trade & Tariffs

China’s southwestern province of Yunnan, which borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, has been described by researchers as a key land corridor for securing strategic mineral supplies needed for defense industry mobilization, particularly during wartime or other extreme scenarios, according to a study published in the academic journal Defence Industry Conversion in China.

The report points to Yunnan’s “nationally leading resource reserves,” including gallium and rare earths, and frames the province as an “irreplaceable gateway” to resources on the Indochinese peninsula. It also links the findings to China’s push to encourage military-civilian dual use of technology through a civil-military fusion approach.

Researchers said Yunnan offers an “effective solution” to Beijing’s “Malacca dilemma,” a vulnerability tied to heavy reliance on maritime trade through the Strait of Malacca. They argue the province can act as a land-based lifeline to keep mineral raw materials for arms production free from maritime power constraints.

The study recommended steps to build rapid-response capabilities using Yunnan’s strategic mineral advantages, with the goal of improving supply chain resilience against external disruptions.

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