The ACITI Partnership: A Democratic Alliance in a Fractured World

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A new trilateral pact across three continents aims to secure critical minerals, green energy tech, and AI futures—before geopolitical headwinds reshape the global order again.

By TRH Foreign Affairs Desk

New Delhi, November 22, 2025 — In a world where China’s dominance in critical minerals and upstream technologies is reshaping global dependencies—and where a Trumpian tariffs threaten to upend supply chains, climate cooperation, and AI safeguards—India, Australia, and Canada have quietly taken a decisive step.

At the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, the three democracies launched the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, a trilateral compact with a deceptively simple goal: safeguard the future before it becomes hostage to geopolitical shocks.

This is not just another diplomatic declaration. It is a strategic alignment born of necessity.

Why ACITI Matters Now

Consider the backdrop:

China controls 70–90% of supply chains in critical minerals essential for EVs, semiconductors, defence systems, and green technologies.
Beijing has already signalled its readiness to weaponise export controls—from gallium and germanium to graphite and rare earths.
Meanwhile, the world is bracing for Trump-era turbulence 2.0, where trade wars, decoupling escalations, and climate rollback pressures may again fracture global technological cooperation.

In this landscape, ACITI is a hedge, a statement, and a strategic tool.

Three Democracies, Three Continents, One Message

The partnership draws on complementary strengths:

India brings scale, digital infrastructure, and a robust talent pipeline.
Australia holds vast, underexploited reserves of lithium, rare earths, and hydrogen potential.
Canada offers advanced research ecosystems, minerals, and stable regulatory frameworks.

Together, they aim to build:

Resilient critical mineral supply chains
Clean energy ecosystems insulated from political blackmail
Responsible and democratic AI architectures
Net-zero aligned innovation pathways

The fact that officials will formally convene in early 2026 signals intent and continuity—essential traits in a volatile geopolitical decade.

The China Factor: Strategic Autonomy, Not Confrontation

Beijing will not miss the symbolism. Three major Indo-Pacific and trans-Atlantic democracies aligning on critical technologies is nothing short of a strategic counterweight to China’s leverage.

But ACITI isn’t about confrontation—it’s about insurance.

As China begins limiting exports of inputs essential for EV batteries and semiconductor-grade materials, democracies must turn cooperation into capability. ACITI is the first draft of that architecture.

The Trump Factor: Preparing for a Distracted United States

The Trump presidency in 2025 has so far meant:

Reduced US commitment to multilateral climate goals
Unpredictable tech and trade rules
Transactional alliances

India, Australia, and Canada are pre-emptively strengthening intra-democratic resilience. With Washington retreating and recalibrating, ACITI ensures that the rest of the democratic world doesn’t drift into technological dependence on China.

A New Model of Middle-Power Cooperation

Mark Carney emphasised prosperity and clean energy; Albanese spoke of shared innovation; Modi framed it as a gift to future generations.

But what ACITI really signals is a shift: middle powers are no longer waiting for the G7, the QUAD, or Washington to set the pace. They are crafting their own circuit-breakers against global volatility.

This is diplomacy built for an era when disruption is the norm—not the exception.

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