China is the leading refiner and processor of the majority of the world’s 20 strategic minerals, according to an IEA analysis, and that should ring international alarm bells, Dr. Birol said Tuesday in an interview from Paris. “Slowly but surely, countries’ governments are waking up to this looming security challenge,” he said.

After a week of talks dominated by trade spats and geopolitical distrust, finance chiefs were once again left hanging on the outcome of a potential meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies.

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the country's top trade and investment promotion agency, will lead a large delegation of Chinese businesses leaders to attend the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in South Korea,