China Claims Vast Thorium Find in Inner Mongolia

China has allegedly struck a colossal thorium reserve at the Bayan Obo mining complex in Inner Mongolia potentially enough to power the nation for 60000 years per a declassified geological survey. This discovery could turbocharge Beijing’s quest for energy independence and dominance in next-generation nuclear tech. While details remain murky it’s a bold claim that’s rattling global markets and U.S. security hawks alike.

Thorium a radioactive metal abundant in Earth’s crust is seen as a cleaner safer alternative to uranium for nuclear power. The Bayan Obo site already a hub for rare earth minerals could hold billions of tons of thorium if China’s survey holds up. Experts say this could give China a leg up in building thorium-based reactors a tech the U.S. has largely sidelined.

Beijing has kept quiet on specifics like the reserve’s exact size or extraction timeline fueling speculation about its plans. State media hinted at a strategic pivot to thorium energy which produces less waste and can’t be weaponized easily. This aligns with China’s goal to cut coal reliance and lead the world in green tech amid tensions with the West.

The U.S. and allies are watching closely worried China could corner the market on thorium like it has with rare earths vital for electronics and defense. Bayan Obo already supplies over 70 percent of global rare earths a chokehold that’s irked Washington. A thorium boom there might deepen reliance on China for cutting-edge energy and military hardware.

Trump’s team has yet to comment but his past calls to counter China’s resource grabs suggest a response is brewing. Some GOP lawmakers want to revive U.S. thorium research dormant since the Cold War to keep pace. They argue America can’t cede this frontier to a rival that flouts trade rules and flexes its economic might.

Skeptics question if China’s find is as game-changing as claimed noting thorium tech is still unproven at scale. Extracting and refining it could take decades and billions with no guarantee of success. Still Beijing’s track record of turning mineral wealth into global leverage has experts on edge.

Energy markets felt the news with uranium stocks dipping as investors bet on thorium’s rise. Chinese firms tied to Bayan Obo saw shares spike though analysts warn of hype outpacing reality. If legit this haul could redraw the energy map and hand China a trump card in its rivalry with the U.S.

For now the world waits for hard proof of China’s thorium bonanza and what it means for power and geopolitics. Trump may see it as a challenge to hit back with American innovation or tariffs. Either way this alleged find puts a spotlight on Inner Mongolia as ground zero in the next resource race.