Chinese premier focuses on critical minerals and clean energy during Australian visit

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang ends his Australian tour on Tuesday in the west coast city of Perth where he will focus on China’s investment in critical minerals and clean energy.

Li last week became the first Chinese premier to visit New Zealand then Australia in seven years. Later Tuesday, he is to become the first premier to visit Malaysia since 2015.

Li, China’s second-most powerful leader after President Xi Jinping, will inspect iron ore miner Fortescue’s clean energy research facility in Perth.

Fortescue’s chairman Andrew Forrest said Li was interested in the company’s plans to produce iron ore without carbon emissions and potentially “green iron.”

“I think China chose us because it’s not just the best technology to go green in Australia, it’s the best technology to go green in the world and we’ve got real examples of it in trains, ship engines, trucks,” Forrest told The Associated Press.

The Perth facility is testing technology on hydrogen, ammonia and batter power for trains, ships, trucks and heavy mining equipment.

Li will also visit Chinese-controlled Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia’s processing plant south of Perth to underscore China’s interest in investing in critical minerals. The plant produces battery-grade lithium hydroxide for electric vehicles.

Australia shares U.S. concerns over China’s global dominance in critical minerals and control over supply chains in the renewable energy sector.

Citing Australia’s national interests, Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked companies to divest their shares in the rare earth mining company Northern Minerals.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote in an opinion piece published in Perth’s main newspaper, The West Australian, on