External affairs minister S. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the US to participate in the critical minerals ministerial being convened by secretary of state Marco Rubio, amid continuing strain in the bilateral relationship over tariffs in particular. The critical minerals ministerial is part of the Pax Silica — the US-led multilateral initiative launched in December to reduce dependence on single-source suppliers and build a resilient tech structure. ADVERTISEMENTChina is a leading single-source supplier for many of the critical minerals needed for clean energy, defence and high-tech industries. Announcing the visit, external affairs ministry said the ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals. As of today, nine countries are signatories to Pax Silica — Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Singapore, the UAE and the UK.

Source: The Telegraph February 02, 2026 23:17 UTC