BERLIN : German industry on Tuesday warned that Europe must become more self-reliant in the hunt for raw materials needed for cleaner, more digital economies, after China caused alarm by announcing restrictions on some metals used for semiconductors.
In a position paper, the group said that Germany's and Europe's dependency on mineral raw materials such as rare earths from China was"already greater than that of oil and natural gas from Russia". "German technology and security policy must ... aim more than ever to end unilateral dependencies, build up its own capabilities and competencies in key digital technologies," said Bitkom managing director Bernhard Rohleder.