China's Tianqi-led venture makes $94m bid for Australian lithium firm Essential

China's Tianqi-led venture makes $94m bid for Australian lithium firm Essential

Lithium mine. Photo: Reuters

A venture headed by China’s Tianqi Lithium made an A$136 million ($94.07 million) bid to buy Australian lithium developer Essential Metals, in a big test of Australian regulators’ appetite for Chinese-led foreign investment.