In this introductory episode of Minerals Matter, APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla speaks with Professor Pascale Massot, key advisor to the Critical Minerals Hub and APF Canada’s John H. McArthur Research Fellow, about China’s grip on critical minerals and the policy options available to Canada. Pascale Massot is an Associate Professor in the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa and the author of the award-winning book China’s Vulnerability Paradox: How the World’s Largest Consumer Transformed Global Commodity Markets.
Massot explains why securing critical minerals has become an urgent challenge that goes beyond geology. China’s dominance, she argues, is the result of deliberate policy choices in Beijing as well as past decisions of offshoring processing capacity in the West. While China holds near-monopoly positions across much of the critical minerals value chain, Massot explains why it is not invincible. The episode concludes with Massot outlining realistic pathways for Canada to strengthen supply-chain resilience and reduce dependence on China.
