Batteries are powerful military and strategic enablers that the United States cannot afford to let China dominate. The technology is not just used in the civilian sector: It is also a military technology, powering drones, sensor arrays, radio equipment, and robotics. Given batteries’ dual-use implications, the United States cannot afford to let China dominate their supply chains, as Beijing has already shown a willingness to weaponize them.
In response, the United States should develop a national strategy to seize leadership in batteries and ensure that its own military capabilities don’t depend on imports from China. Such a program will likely include leapfrogging past current battery technologies to develop solid‑state and lithium‑sulfur batteries that are less reliant on Chinese-dominated supply chains and that have the potential to give the United States a technological and operational edge, mitigating China’s production scale.
Beijing’s industrial policy playbook: A global battery monopoly?
China dominates global battery production today, making over 80 percent of the world’s battery cells. For lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are quickly becoming the industry standard for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems, China’s control is even more striking, with 98 percent of the world’s LFP battery cathode production.
