California governor Gavin Newsom visited China on Wednesday to meet with the communist dictator, Xi Jinping. The meeting resulted in a scarily named declaration: the “Declaration of Enhanced Subnational Climate Action and Cooperation Between the State of California and the People’s Republic of China.”
Newsom and Xi discussed China and California’s $166 billion trade relationship, and how to “accelerate our progress on climate in meaningful and substantive ways,” Newsom said.
“Divorce is not an option. The only way we can solve the climate crisis is to continue our long-standing cooperation with China,” he added in a statement.
By 2035, the Golden State will ban new gas-powered vehicles to combat climate change and air pollution. American industry can’t keep up with such lofty goals. The United States’ already-weak electric-vehicle supply chain depends on critical Chinese mineral miners, producers, and refiners, for EV batteries. Batteries need cobalt, lithium, and graphite — all minerals over which China holds market dominance. EV goals either require foreign minerals or more time to build up domestic infrastructure.
For the most part, the U.S. recognizes that the latter is a good bet. Donald Trump’s administration called U.S. dependence on countries such as China and Russia for minerals what it was: a national-security emergency. Defense, aerospace, and energy industries require these minerals for various projects, and America can’t rely on her foreign adversaries to supply them. Case in point: Last week, after the U.S. further limited China’s access to semiconductor chips, China announced export permits on graphite.
Joe Biden’s administration has prioritized combatting China’s dominance with investments in American industry. The Departments of Defense and Energy authorized funds recently to boost domestic lithium and graphite production, but those operations won’t be productive for years to come. Hence, Newsom’s re-upped collaboration with Xi. The communist-run state isn’t trustworthy though, especially not when it comes to matters of U.S. national security. Newsom seems to think otherwise.
“Despite major differences, we share our humanity — our desire to feel protected, connected and respected is universal — and that humanity is what should drive us to work together to stop the greatest existential threat our planet has ever known,” the governor’s office posted on X. “Governor Newsom made it clear to Chinese leaders that California will remain a stable, strong, and reliable partner, particularly on low-carbon, green growth.”
Notably absent from Wednesday’s commie tea party was a lengthy discussion of China’s human-rights offenses. China has detained more than 1 million Muslims in the Uyghur genocide, killing, torturing, or forcibly sterilizing many of them. Newsom briefly touched upon the fentanyl crisis, which the Department of Justice has accused Chinese companies of fueling. The pair “talked about the importance of this issue,” Newsom said, adding that, “It’s taking the life of one-plus person every single day in San Francisco.” So far, Newsom hasn’t explained what deal he reached with Xi to limit the fentanyl influx.