Resource nationalism through downstreaming: how Indonesia, Chile, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo respond to Chinese capital in the critical minerals sector

Alvin Camba, Ryan Seay and Noah Meyer

Chapter 29 in Handbook of Resource Nationalism, 2026, pp 465-481 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: How do Indonesia, Chile, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) deploy resource nationalism (RN) to capture value from their engagement with China in critical minerals? In its classical form, RN reflects the belief that a country's natural wealth should primarily benefit its people rather than foreign interests. However, RN does not always lead to sustained developmental outcomes. In contrast, industrial policy refers to a deliberate set of government policies, instruments, and institutional arrangements aimed at transforming the country through incentives, coordination, and protection. This chapter proposes a conceptual synthesis fusing these two traditionally distinct approaches to state intervention in resource economies through downstreaming, a model of asserting control over natural resources. It examines how three of China's largest providers of nickel, cobalt, and lithium use different models of resource nationalism through downstreaming in relation to their engagement with China's dominance.

Keywords: China; Indonesia; Chile; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Industrial Policy; Resource Nationalism; Downstreaming; Critical Minerals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035333431
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