In Depth: Why China’s Lithium Firms Have Their Sights Set on Bolivia

Bolivia couldn’t wait any longer.

The South American country’s president said as much when he attended the Jan. 20 signing in the capital La Paz of an agreement between Bolivia’s state lithium company and a consortium led by Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL) to collaborate on the mining, refining, processing, and sale of the country’s lithium reserves.