How China is poised to benefit from Zimbabwe’s lithium supply

Zimbabwe has Africa’s largest reserves of lithium, a key ingredient in producing solar panels and rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles. The country is therefore a big player in the transition to a clean energy future. But under a new law, foreign countries who extract minerals in Zimbabwe are now required to process them in-country to provide jobs to Zimbabweans. That puts China in a very favorable position as it is already heavily invested in many mines in Zimbabwe. Marco Werman speaks with William Tobin, assistant director at the Global Energy Center of the Atlantic Council, to find out the implications of this advantage for China.