Zeng Yuqun, chairman of China’s largest electric-vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, has suggested that the Chinese government speed up “exploration and development” of lithium resources in the country to ensure supply chain security amid a global shortage of the rare earth metal as more people move to EVs. Zeng, chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), included lithium development as one of his proposals submitted to authorities in his capacity as a delegate of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political consultative body. He said that lithium, the key metal used in the batteries that power EVs,...