China suddenly has a rubber problem. So do elephants.

China imports 85% of their natural rubber consumption, and enjoys strong trading relationships with the top rubber producers. But the war in the Persian Gulf is driving oil prices higher, which in turn is making natural rubber substitutes far more expensive. China is limited in its capacity to expand natural rubber production. Domestic sources are mostly from Hainan Island, and Southern Yunnan, which are two areas slated for massive expansions in high-end tourism and industry. Scientists are now growing natural rubber in the Gobi Desert, and are quickly scaling up production. Closing scene, Jinghong and Mekong River, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Resources and links: China's Hainan free trade port: what the world's largest FTZ means for global trade https://www.mic-cust.com/mic-blog/pos... China grows military-grade rubber in Gobi Desert as war reshapes supply chains https://interestingengineering.com/mi... Mapping China’s rubber metabolism: tires and beyond https://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/info/1... It is ‘flourishing’: China’s man-made forest in Gobi produces good rubber for military use https://www.scmp.com/news/china/scien... 10 Countries Control 90% of Natural Rubber Export Value https://www.kontango.com/blog/10-coun... Tire Recycling Industry Statistics: Global Market Data https://gradeall.com/tire-recycling-i... After the rubber boom: good news and bad news for biodiversity in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China https://link.springer.com/article/10.... Improving sustainable livelihoods for smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna https://www.preferredbynature.org/pro... Rubber Boom, Land Use Change and the Implications for Carbon Balances in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China https://www.sciencedirect.com/science... Navigating between Tea and Rubber in Xishuangbanna, China: When New Crops Fail and Old Ones Work https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/1/22 SunSirs: Natural Rubber Prices Continue to Rise; Supply-Demand Gap Sustains High-Level Performance https://www.anrpc.org/news/sunsirs%3A... Natural rubber prices soar on Iran tensions, boosting Asian suppliers https://asia.nikkei.com/business/mark... 25-year natural rubber prices https://jmkintl.com/rubber-price-trend Which Country Produces the Most Natural Rubber? https://www.helgilibrary.com/charts/w... In Search of Giants: Tracking Rare Wild Elephants in China https://www.fabionodariphoto.com/en/w...