US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the fight over rare metals is "China versus the world." Photo: AP PHOTO

The United States is hoping to enlist Australia in a trade battle with China over the control of the global critical minerals supply, as a new survey reveals deep skepticism of the Trump administration among voters.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the fight over metals like lithium, cobalt and copper was a case of "China versus the world."

"We're going to be speaking with our European allies, with Australia, with Canada, with India and the Asian democracies," he

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