In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the US and China emerges

Around the Cook Islands, the world’s two most powerful countries are exploring the possibility of deep-sea mining for critical minerals

Deep below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the seafloor is dotted with clusters of brown and black rocks, each containing valuable metals.

The rocks, known as polymetallic nodules, hold reserves of critical minerals that could be used to power clean energy and fuel a new industrial future. In the Cook Islands, a nation halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, exploration vessels are mapping the mineral-rich seabeds.

Here, the US and China are both exploring the resource potential – setting up a new strategic battle between the world’s two most powerful countries.

Geopolitical analyst Jocelyn Trainer from Terra Global Insights says the two superpowers are jostling for influence and determined to “race each other to the bottom of the sea”.