According to the Global Times,"South Korea and Cuba will collaborate on a series of electric vehicle batteries. "According to South Korea's "Asian Economy", Cuba is the world's fifth largest nickel mine and fourth cobalt country, so South Korea and Cuba have a lot of room for cooperation in minerals. South Korea officially issued a statement saying that the establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba will have a positive effect on South Korea's economy. South Korea and Cuba formally established diplomatic relations. The Republic of Korea published a report entitled "Expected Outcomes in Various Fields after the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Korea and Cuba," which described and expressed its views on the various possible opportunities for the two sides in the fields of economy, trade, culture, and sports. The report points out that Cuba is the world's leading nickel and cobalt production base, and that Hangu has a lot of room for cooperation in minerals.
In the powertrain of electric vehicles, nickel and cobalt are key raw materials. South Korean companies are leaders in the production of batteries for electric vehicles, and Cuba has a lot of natural resources, which is a great opportunity for South Korea. Although Cuba has a large number of natural resources, its economic market has not yet been fully tapped. Due to long-standing U.S. sanctions, Cuba's foreign affairs have been restricted. However, the South Korean side also pointed out that if diplomatic relations can be formally established, economic and trade cooperation between China and South Korea may gradually expand. This process may still take time, but China and the United States have great confidence in future cooperation.
South Korea itself has an independent mindset around the world, but in reality it is firmly controlled by the United States. But the establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba is not just an attempt to establish an independent state, but to establish a mutually complementary relationship between the two countries. Cuba has a large number of nickel, iron ore, copper ore and other minerals, which makes South Korea very interested in the lack of resources. South Korea plays a very contradictory role with North Korea. The establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba will not only allow South Korea to expand the power of the two countries, but also to obtain more foreign investment, and it will also impose a diplomatic isolation on North Korea. The move may also allow South Korea to better participate in this geopolitical war.
Cuba hopes to build diplomatic relations with South Korea to boost its economic power and get South Korea's help. But the move has also sparked debate that more attention should be paid to North Korea. On the whole, Han Lao's initiative to show goodwill this time is beneficial to the nation. This is a global reminder that the international situation is changing rapidly, and all countries need to be vigilant and adopt flexible responses. The establishment of diplomatic relations is the norm. Each country has its own foreign policy and freedom of partnership. The establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the Republic of Korea is based on the common interests of the two countries. This does not indicate a change in Cuba's attitude towards the DPRK, but on the contrary, it is striving to expand diplomatic ties with the DPRK and seek new development opportunities in the context of economic integration.
The South Korean side said that the establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba is an important step for South Korea's relations in Central and South America, which means that the two countries will have closer ties in economic and people-to-people exchanges. The ROK is preparing to hold consultations with Cuba on the establishment of a permanent embassy and other issues, hoping to take this opportunity to help Korean companies enter the Cuban market and promote practical cooperation between the two countries. At the same time, Cuba also issued an official announcement, saying that the establishment of diplomatic and consular relations between Cuba and the ROK will not only help strengthen the understanding and friendship between the two peoples, but also help establish good ties in the fields of people, education, science and technology, economy and trade, and so on.
Before making a decision to establish diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Cuba, it must be based on comprehensive consideration from various angles. Cuba may want to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea to boost its economic development and improve its position in the world, but it does not want to rely too much on an alliance. As far as South Korea is concerned, the establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba can open up a large market in South America, promote economic and trade relations between the two countries, and at the same time enhance its voice in the world. Although there are difficulties and challenges in diplomatic relations, on the whole, the benefits of this activity outweigh the disadvantages. The establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Cuba is conducive to the economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and provides more opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.
South Korea is a small country on the Korean Peninsula and has historically been very scarce. Due to the geographical location of the Korean Peninsula, there are few resources here, and it is difficult to support a modern industrial power. Moreover, the Korean Peninsula is also divided into two parts, and North Korea is very scarce in resources, especially the most scarce metals. Now, there is a serious shortage of all rare metals in South Korea, which can only last for three days at most.
South Korea's inventory of 13 rare metals is less than half of the plan, and the lithium mine, known as "white oil", does not even have a week's production capacity, and South Korea's lithium mine can only hold on to another 58 days. The current situation is definitely a huge blow to the Korean industry. South Korea is currently located in China, where export controls on gallium and germanium have not been officially approved.
Among them, lithium metal is not only an important energy conversion material, but also an important strategic mineral deposit. In this case, the change in the global lithium salt industry is no longer a simple market issue, which involves the strategy of each country, the competition of the industry and the political risk. This also means that if there is a dispute and a military conflict, South Korea's industrial sector can only support for a maximum of six days, a maximum of three weeks. South Korean officials said that although South Korean companies will not be immediately hit by the shortage of rare metal resources, if the situation deteriorates, there will be problems in the supply and demand relationship.
And now, South Korea's battery companies are investing heavily in foreign lithium resources. However, it is impossible for South Korea to "decouple" from China in a short period of time. Research by the Shenyang Exchange Hall of the Korea Association for the Promotion of Commerce and Investment in Shenyang shows that South Korea is now far more dependent on lithium resources than other countries, such as Japan. In particular, the demand for high-nickel tertiary batteries for tertiary charging is on the rise, and the country's dependence on lithium hydroxide will further increase. A South Korean battery company executive also said that while Chile and Europe want to re-establish lithium concentrate smelters, that goal is difficult to achieve, and that it is unrealistic for South Korea to change its dependence on China for lithium in the coming years.
In this regard, industry sources said that South Korea's rare earth reserves do have some problems. As the world economy gradually recovers from the new coronavirus, South Korea's demand for *** will be even greater, and the existing reserves will be difficult to cope with such needs. In addition, changes in the international economic situation will also have a certain impact on South Korea's rare earth supply. All in all, although South Korea's rare earth reserves still have some problems, its ** still recognizes this problem and begins to deal with it. In the future, with the development and changes of the world economy, Korea's achievements in the metal industry will receive more attention.
In short, in today's era, the relationship between countries is getting closer and closer, and the changes in the international trend have played a huge role in promoting the development of the country. We should not only pay attention to the international trend, understand its root cause and effect, but also look for opportunities and innovation from the trend, so as to create greater value for ourselves and society.