Beijing's controversial claim of sovereignty over the South China Sea is partly driven by deposits of rare minerals beneath it which are essential for the superpower's economic future, experts claim. The minerals are an essential component for advanced electronics including satellites, aerospace and robotics - technologies that China aims to be a world leader in. Since 2016, Beijing has steadily weaponised the South China Sea, building artificial reefs and installing military bases on some of them. READ MORE: China's motivation for claiming the South China Sea is linked to the rare earth minerals beneath it, experts say.(Getty images) The US and other western navies, including Australia, have held exercises in the waterway - where trillions of dollars in global trade sails through.