Project Vault Doesn't Solve the Mineral Problem || Peter Zeihan

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• Project Vault, while an “interesting step” and “not an unnecessary one,” fundamentally fails to address the US’s critical mineral dependency because it focuses on stockpiling raw materials (often waste from Chinese processing) rather than building domestic processing capabilities.
• The core problem is that 70% of critical materials processing (e.g., rare earths, gallium, which are often byproducts of other mining like silver or aluminum) is done in China, making Project Vault’s current approach akin to buying China’s waste.
• To build a truly “Chinese free system,” the US must prioritize constructing its own processing infrastructure and secure raw material supply through robust diplomacy with key mining nations such as Canada, Australia, and Brazil.
• Without significant investment in domestic processing and improved diplomatic relations with key raw material suppliers, efforts like Project Vault are largely a “rounding error” that perpetuate US dependence on China.