This is CBSI in the World. I'm John Batch with my colleague and friend Gordon Chang at

Gordon G. Chang. And we're very keen to speak to Brandon Wiker, the author of a new book

Biohack. But right now we call on Brandon's understanding of electric vehicles and critical

components of our future technology. This has to do with China and two elements known

as germanium and gallium. Brandon, I won't go any further because I'll demonstrate my inability

to remember the periodic table. Germanium and gallium, what are they good for and why

is China threatening to withhold them and what does that mean for our recovery economy?

Good evening to you, Brandon.

Well, good evening, John and hello, Gordon. Thanks again for having me. These are two very

critical components to the modern economy. Basically all of our computer chips, things

like solar panels, sort of all the new technology we're developing rests upon a foundation

that gallium and germanium are essential to. And so China, the one report I was reading,

China controls about 80% of the known world quantities of gallium and 60% of the known

world quantities of germanium. And so they can cut us off. And at least in the near

term, it's going to be a big headache. It's going to cause prices on electronic equipment

to skyrocket, which of course will be felt throughout the wider economy, which at a

time like now when the economy is sort of turgid. It's not a very good time to do this

for us. Gordon, you have a question for Brandon.

In 2010, China imposed an export ban on rare earth to Japan. That export ban collapsed

because the Japanese were able to buy from Chinese state enterprises anyway, certitiously.

And they were able to buy on the open market and they found substitutes and all sorts of

things. So the ban just didn't work. Do you think this ban, unlike the one in 2010,

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