Canada and the European Union (EU) announced on Tuesday a new strategic partnership on raw materials, aimed at cutting dependency on China for critical mineral supplies. “We as Europeans want to diversify our imports away from producers like China because we want more sustainability, less environmental damage, and we want transparency on raw materials,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told reporters a day after the Canada-EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Monday. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also mentioned other goals of the new partnership. “Canada and the EU have a long history of close cooperation. Over the past year, the challenges brought on by COVID-19 have demonstrated the importance of working together to end the pandemic and tackle global issues,” Trudeau said in a statement. “By strengthening our relationship, we are able to keep our people safe and healthy, create good, middle class jobs, and build …