Coins have both sides: Revealing the structure and pattern of global interdependence network for five critical metals

Evaluating the trade interdependence among countries is the key to understanding critical metal minerals security. By constructing a novel interdependence network, this paper reveals a more comprehensive world hierarchy and risk system of critical metals, and focuses on the interdependencies between China and the US-led MSP countries before and after the Sino-US trade disputes. The results indicate that the global interdependence network of critical metals has declined, with antimony interdependence being the loosest. China and the U.S. are gradually separating into different communities and driving the camp-based world pattern. In addition, the world is increasingly less dependent on China, but China is increasingly dependent on the world. China only remains the world's most indispensable in both lithium and tungsten alone, but it is the most world-dependent country in all four critical metal interdependence networks except tungsten. Meanwhile, China and Western countries such as the U.S. are at high risk of dependence on critical metal chains, while most of the others are gradually getting better. Interestingly, MSP countries and China maintain strong interdependencies. MSP countries' dependencies on China have significantly decreased, While China's dependence on MSP has gradually deepened.