Natural Resources, Energy Transition and Bilateral Cooperation in the China-Argentina Relationship: The Case of Lithium

Abstract

Argentina holds one of the largest lithium reserves in the world, positioning it as a strategic territory in the global energy transition. In recent years, bilateral cooperation with China has intensified, materializing in investment projects, joint ventures, and memoranda of understanding focused on lithium extraction and industrialization. This article examines the scope and tensions of this cooperation from a developmental and strategic perspective. Drawing on qualitative analysis of institutional agreements, corporate strategies and policy frameworks, the study argues that the dominant development model in Argentina tends to
reproduce asymmetric dependencies and extractivist logics, despite rhetorical commitments to South-South cooperation and sustainable development.