Tye Graham
On the edge of a small German town, a Chinese-owned battery plant turns stacks of graphite-coated anodes and lithium-rich cathodes into cells bound for European electric vehicles (EVs) (Xinhua, July 23, 2025). The Chinese-processed lithium, graphite, and other inputs are powering the EV industry while also powering the motors, guidance electronics, and energy stores for future missiles, radars, and unmanned systems. In 2023, exports from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of “new three” (新三样) products (EVs, lithium-ion batteries, and solar cells) passed $150 billion, up nearly 30 percent year on year.
Chinese factories produced roughly 70 percent of global output of lithium-ion batteries (Xinhua, January 12, 2024; U.S. International Trade Commission, June 2024). The PRC maintains not only pricing power in civilian markets but also a growing edge in the power systems, logistics backbone, and coercive leverage that underpin its next generation of military strength (PLA Daily, August 23, 2024; Sina Finance, October 10, 2025).
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