Interesting Analogue with Rare Earth Elements A really interesting section from an opinion piece written for The National Interest which I found striking. The article is about strategic minerals in general and REE's in particular, but I think it definitely applies to the Cesium situation.
"Such is the Chinese comparative advantage in REE processing that the largest single rare earth mine in the world, the open pit at Mountain Pass, California, just southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been sending its raw ore to China for processing before the metal returns to the United States as finished magnets used in EVs and other applications."
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-america-can-escape-china%E2%80%99s-rare-earth-pincer-206645
Obviously, this isn't a direct analogue; I believe the historic pollucite stockpiles at Tanco are processed in Canada before the refined materials are exported to China. That being said, the situation and solutions as outlined in the article still directly apply here, and I think this is demonstrative of a rising awareness of the situation and a need to diversify the sources of raw material inputs. The fact Sinomine is looking to reactivate Tanco specifically for the Cesium speaks volumes to the accelerating use cases for the material and the need for additional reliable sources.
Reuters article from July 17, 2023 highlighting China's dominance in other strategic resources
https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/old-cold-war-tool-could-help-new-era-tension-2023-07-17/