China May Be Reaching for Its Rare Earths Gun
China May Be Reaching for Its Rare Earths Gun How the U.S.-China trade war could heat up. Chinese rhetoric surrounding its willingness to impose restrictions on rare earth exports has escalated. Two different state-controlled entities have strongly hinted that China is prepared to use its near-monopoly in the rare earths market to hit back against the United States in the ongoing trade dispute. The Peoples Daily, a state-run publication, published a commentary entitled "United States, Dont Underestimate Chinas Ability to Strike Back." The strongly worded missive echoed previous warnings outlining how rare earths could be used as a "counter weapon" to respond to U.S. tariffs and ongoing demands in trade negotiations. At the same time, Chinas National Development and Reform Commission, the countrys top economic planning agency, emphasized the need for China to prioritize domestic needs over the export market in the face of rising domestic demand for rare earths... https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/china-may-be-reaching-its-rare-earths-gun-60457