In Depth: China’s Mid-Tier Cities Vie for EV Battery Supremacy

A handful of things put the southwestern Chinese city of Yibin on the map.

There’s Wuliangye, a popular brand of fiery liquor baijiu. The iconic Bamboo Sea that formed a key location for Ang Lee’s 2000 martial arts hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And there are the fuel rods it pumps out as one of China’s most important nuclear hubs, where enriched uranium is processed for plants around the country.