EU Seeks Cooperation with Vietnam to Obtain Critical Minerals

Internal EU documents show that Europe is seeking to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam to obtain critical minerals such as tungsten and rare earths needed by the defense industry, and to reduce its dependence on Chinese supplies. Vietnam holds large reserves of relevant minerals. Export restrictions imposed by the Chinese government last year have already hit European supply chains, and Europe, while expanding its armaments, is unwilling to keep the supply of critical raw materials in China's hands.