In what could be the restart of an ongoing and beautiful unfriending,  a completely off-the-hook Canadian government under handsome pushover and perpetual photo-bomber Justin Trudeau, has given its Order 66 of China-Canuck mining, sending his best and strongest Champagne up to the Lithium Temple to ‘scale-back’ on Chinese firms hell bent on having their way with the supply of Canadian critical minerals and lithium most specifically. 

 

Via Imgur

Last week the Chancellor, mad with power after years of photo-bombing from his galactic stronghold in horrific Ottawa, marshalled his ruthless Canadian Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne to execute the order which will force three top firms from the powerful Chinese trading guild to withdraw their significant stakes in local Canucklehead lithium miners.

The Western Anglo-American empire  and its reliance on critical minerals (like lithium, cobalt and rare earths, for example) is looking a lot like a serious strategic vulnerability, especially now global supply chain reliability is in question and when China has proven itself a bad actor which remains  in comprehensive control of so many key minerals and metals of the future.

Via Nadine

On Wednesday last week Toronto-time, Champagne – perhaps drunk with power –  announced strict new curbs on any foreign-owned or state-run companies involved in the extraction of Canada’s abundant critical minerals. 

A bit of a stickler for quality, Champagne said Chancellor Justin would only go for such investments – regardless of size – on an “exceptional basis.”

“Rigorous scrutiny by Canada’s national security and intelligence community” prompted the order, which was based on “facts and evidence and on the advice of critical minerals subject matter experts,” the single-minded French-Canadian Sith-lord said in a statement.

Naturally devastated by the systematic extermination of their kind in the sacred lithium temples of Vancouver, China has heaped criticism on the order calling it a violation of market principles, damning Champagne for a chardonnay socialist in a cheap suit and via the always jovial Chinese Foreign Ministry, called on Canada to reverse the decision.

We’d like you to stop that and just let us get on with our thing, the Chinese Communist Party meant when foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said this: 

“Canada stretched the concept of national security and placed barriers to normal investment and trade cooperation between Chinese and Canadian companies.

“We urge Canada to stop the undue suppression of Chinese companies and instead provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for their operation.”

Hit like a tonne of bricks were the three targeted local subsidiaries of Zangge Mining.  Chengxin Lithium Group and Sinomine Resource Group. They’ve been given the word to start divesting from Ultra Lithium Inc., Lithium Chile Inc., and Power Metals Corp. respectively.

In a purely champagne moment, he added: 

“The federal government is determined to work with Canadian businesses to attract foreign direct investments from partners that share our interests and values,” Champagne said, in a purely champagne moment.

Canada and its imperial allies are playing catch-up on national critical mineral supply security, after belatedly realising China controlled pretty much all the useful stuff for anything useful and electric like electric vehicles, smartphones and fully operational star destroying space stations.

“While Canada continues to welcome foreign direct investment, we will act decisively when investments threaten our national security and our critical minerals supply chains, both at home and abroad,” Champagne said in a written statement.

You shall not pass (the force) Via Getty

On the other side Chinese rebels have been scrambling to acquire lithium mines across the galaxy over the last few years. 

Chinese government and party-aligned mining giants have been a real thorn in the side of the Canadian empire, making broad investments across Asia, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere as the Chinese Communist Party under President Xi Jinping looks to get ahead of the West in leading tech industries.

Around a year ago, one rogue Chinese subsidiary of Sinomine Resource bought a near 6%/7.5 million share stake in Power Metals,  worth circa Ca$1.5 million. 

As part of the deal, Sinomine was to be the exclusive galactic distributor in the early-stage Case Lake lithium project.

Sinomine last week says Chancellor Trudeau ordered it to sell off every last one of those Power Metals shares within 90 days, as well as terminating all sales agreements and pulling back a board member it had nominated.

If you don’t, Trudeau likely mind-projected last week, I will begin photo-bombing you out of social media existence. And you know I can.

Following the Canuck mind trick, clearly shaken Sinomine shares dropped 7.8% on the Shenzhen bourse.

Lithium, a key ingredient in electric-battery powered cars and star destroyers is right up there on Canada’s list of critical strategic resources:

  1. Keanu Reeves 

  2. Lithium 

  3. Celine Dion

  4. Justin Bieber

  5. Drake

 

As Canada makes the difficult energy transition away from fossil fuels and the blood of the innocent, lithium prices have since more than tripled in around 12 months.

And in late breaking news, it seems China has formulated a response. Stand by for more…

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