Fatih Birol

THE WRITER IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY

A lithium battery production line at a factory in Huaibei, in eastern China's Anhui province. China made key strategic decisions and investments during the past decade that enabled it to pull ahead in battery technologies.

Batteries are crucial technology for the 21st century

Their role powering the growth of key industries means we cannot ignore economic security risks