"This is a co-dependent relationship whereby either party cannot survive without the other," says analyst Atilla Widnell.

Bilateral ties were strained in 2018 when Australia became the first country to publicly ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G network.

The share prices of major producers have not quite matched the stellar gains of the commodities they produce.

Officials at the Department for Business are discussing options to protect the United Kingdom's access to vital materials including lithium and cobalt.

Expectations are building that benchmark prices can get to $200 a tonne.

China’s net imports of refined copper surged by 38% to 4.4 million tonnes last year, breaking all historical records.