Panel Discussion – Competition and Cooperation in Energy, Technology, and Critical Minerals in the Indo-Pacific Region
America has many security partners in the Indo-Pacific, but these countries are often economic rivals too
The collision between geopolitics, energy, and technology may be a defining aspect of the international system in the 2020s. Even as the United States and its allies work to diversify their supply chains to avoid over-dependence on geopolitical competitors, they are in simultaneous cooperation and competition with one another. In some areas, such as fossil fuels, the United States and its allies have complementary resources and needs. In others, like electric vehicles, U.S. and allied manufacturers compete with one another and with China. Indeed, some European allies complain that the United States has been too competitive in sourcing critical minerals for high-tech industries. The session explored opportunities for deeper cooperation with U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region in energy and energy-related technologies, including electric vehicles and batteries, as well as underlying tensions.
On September 17, 2024, the Center for the National Interest and Energy Innovation Reform Project hosted two experts in a panel discussion on these issues and more:
—Younkyoo Kim, Dean, School of International Studies, Hanyang University (Seoul), Director, Hanyang Institute for Energy & the Environment, and author of two recent books on electric vehicles, batteries, and critical minerals.
—Jane Nakano, Senior Fellow, Energy Security and Climate Change Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, a former Department of Energy official, and author of several reports on energy, clean energy, and geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific region.
Paul Saunders, President of the Center for the National Interest and a Senior Advisor at Energy Innovation Reform Project, moderated the discussion.
For related work, see:
David Gattie, “China’s EV Battery Dominance: The Need for US-South Korea Cooperation,” here.
Younkyoo Kim, “US-China EV Battery Competition and the Role of South Korea,” here.
Paul Saunders, Toward an Indo-Pacific Clean Energy Framework, here.
Paul Saunders, “Joe Biden’s New EV Tariffs Aren’t Enough to Save U.S. Manufacturers” The National Interest.