has since betrayed the free trade principles it pioneered across the world in the post-war period when it began cracking down on Huawei and imposing tariffs on Chinese imports.įurthermore, some of China's rare earth exports have found their way into American weapons systems that have been deployed to the South China Sea and elsewhere in an effort to "contain" China, hence the specific wording of the NDRC's statement. Up until this point, China followed free market principles when it came to exporting these products. The metals are used in everything from everyday electronics to even cruise missiles.
The U.S., like most of the world, depends on China's rare earth minerals, which are vital components of today's technologically-driven society. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said that "China firmly opposes any attempt to use products made with rare earth from China to suppress China's development," which is the clearest indication yet that the export of these ultra-strategic resources to American defense companies might be severely limited or outright discontinued for national security reasons. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.Ĭhina sent a very strong signal of its possible intent to respond to the U.S.'s trade war provocations by curtailing rare earth exports to certain categories of foreign industries. Editor's note: Andrew Korybko is a Moscow-based American political analyst.
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