Dragon & The Beaver - Bridge To The Future
你好吗？ (Nǐ hǎo ma?)
A Warm Welcome to My Readers in China and Singapore
First, I want to extend a warm welcome to all my readers from China who’ve been engaging with my recent work. Over the past month, more than 50% of the visitors to iamgrt.com came from China, and they also spent significantly more time exploring the content.
Thank you — I truly appreciate the interest and curiosity.
Interestingly, Singapore ranked second, which likely reflects my recent posts on both China and Singapore and their growing influence on the global stage.
Your engagement reinforces one thing for me: the world is watching this conversation closely — and the shifts happening around critical minerals, geopolitics, and innovation are sparking genuine interest across Asia and beyond.
Why Does It Matter?
You might ask: “Whose minerals are these anyway? Why should this matter to me? I have nothing to do with rare earths.”
But consider this — we live in a world where everything is interconnected.
With a tap on a smartphone or a click on a laptop, we access information instantly.
Yet none of that is possible without the systems working quietly in the background.
Every device, sensor, satellite, data center, EV motor, and secure communication channel relies on critical minerals to function.
So why does this matter?
Because when everyday life depends on these systems, the real risk emerges when one country has near-total leverage over the world’s supply chain.
That’s where the vulnerability lies.
In an era of geopolitical complexity and shifting alliances, countries will increasingly look for predictable, trusted, and innovation-driven pathways to power their future.
And that’s exactly where The Beaver — Canada’s innovation play — enters the picture.
The Rare Earth Ecosystem — A Quick Breakdown
To understand the global power dynamics, you need to understand the four key layers of the rare earth ecosystem:
1. Mining (Extraction)
Countries dig rare earth ore out of the ground. This is the most visible stage — but not the most valuable.
2. Refining & Separation (The Real Bottleneck)
The ore is chemically separated into individual rare earth elements.
This stage is extremely complex, messy, and expensive.
This is where China dominates with nearly 90% global capacity.
3. Metal & Magnet Production
Rare earth oxides get turned into metals and permanent magnets.
These magnets power EVs, drones, turbines, robotics, AI servers, and more.
China produces ~90–95% of high-strength magnets.
4. Manufacturing & End Products
Electronics, autos, defense systems, renewable energy components — all rely on rare earth magnets.
This is where the U.S., EU, Japan, and Korea play strongest.
