Newsom’s visit underscores electric vehicle reality: China holds keys to battery industry

WHEN IT COMES to California’s efforts to tackle climate change, China and California are linked in a critical way: The world’s most populous country processes the vast majority of rare metals needed for electric car batteries.

This week Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is touring China with an emphasis on the environment, namely on how California and China can cooperate on climate.