Critical mineral supply in the context of renewable energy security: The case of China in the evaluation of states' trade policies

This thesis analyses trade policies towards the supply of critical minerals as an essential element of the transition to renewable and clean energy technologies. The thesis, based on discussions in the International Political Economy (IPE) argues that states' trade policies cannot be understood holistically with a single theory for the following research question: What kind of trade policy do states pursue towards ensuring renewable energy supply security in the energy transition process? In this context, an eclectic analytical framework synthesising approaches from the Economic Diplomacy and Energy Security literatures is applied to the case of China, chosen based on IPE. The countries that supply the highest amounts of cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements that China needs to produce solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries have been identified. In alignment with the eclectic framework, trade policies for the supply of these minerals were analysed in terms of both central policies and country-specific policies between 2010 and 2021. The method of analysis employed is content analysis. The primary finding of the thesis is that a combination of policies, which can be explained by Realist, Liberal, and Constructivist theories and characterised by various aims and means, are used in the supply of critical minerals. Consequently, the supply of critical minerals involves a combination of trade policies rather than a single trade policy based on IPE.