This criteria was expressed by Diego Ayala, representative of a mission of that Ministry that held meetings with authorities, experts and companies of China.

Integrated by professionals of the sector, the Bolivian delegation participated in the Seminar on Development and Use of Lithium Resources and Production and Commercialization of Lithium Batteries from Bolivian Salt Flats, and held meetings in the cities of Beijing, Golmud and Xinyu, in a program organized by the Geological Survey of China.

According to Ayala, the counterpart’s technological advances are essential for the implementation of the lithium industrialization project managed by the state-owned Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB).

He added that such strategic collaboration could boost the development and competitiveness of the lithium industry in Bolivia, with great economic and technological benefits.

He considered that the participation of the Bolivian multidisciplinary team in the seminar was vital to recognize and identify strengths and weaknesses of lithium development in the country.

This vision, as expressed in an institutional statement, is valid from the perspective of regulatory, political, economic and social strategy, and also from the technical point of view and the use of reserves to achieve better results in the industrialization of the white metal. Regarding the transition from electromobility to cleaner energy sources, Ayala highlighted the role of China as an important investor on a global scale. In this regard, he recalled that China devotes large resources to the extraction of the mineral, its processing and the development of related technologies.

He indicated that the seminar showed how Chinese specialists are at the forefront of technological innovation in the field of lithium. He said this reality is palpable in the development of more efficient lithium-ion batteries, in the exploration of new, more sustainable forms of extraction and processing, in a context of environmental respect.

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