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Opinion
The US won’t benefit by treating China as an enemy
Any hope of turning the tide must begin with reflection, and people in the West should perhaps view China as a mirror so they can see themselves more clearly again
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Dong Lei is an independent observer of Chinese politics and history, with a particular interest in China’s evolving role in global affairs.
Rare earths were once a quiet part of global trade. Many people probably didn’t know what they were or why they mattered. That changed during the US-China trade war under the first Trump administration. Suddenly, these 17 obscure elements became headline material – not because they were new, but because they were everywhere: in electric vehicles, smartphones and weapons systems. And China controls the lion’s share of the global supply.
This dominance didn’t happen by accident. China has spent decades building its rare earth industry from the ground up. It invested in mining, refining and research and, most importantly, in people. Over 11.7 million Chinese university students graduated last year, including many trained in geology, materials science and rare earth engineering. Industry observers estimate that over 30 Chinese universities produce hundreds of graduates annually in related fields, a pipeline the US simply doesn’t have.
Earlier this year, the US and China reached an agreement to resume rare earth shipments after a tense stand-off. But the catch? The US refused to let China buy advanced chips and semiconductor tools. That imbalance didn’t sit well in Beijing.
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