Deep-Sea Resource Race Emerges as New Arena for Great-Power Rivalry

A new book by Guillaume Pitron highlights the accelerating industrialization of the high seas, driven by demand for critical minerals and other resources, which is becoming a new source of geostrategic competition among major powers. The analysis points to early signs of a shift that has been largely overlooked, with implications for maritime governance and international security. The exact scale and pace of this competition remain uncertain, but the trend is clear.