China’s Rare Earth Restrictions Aim to Beat U.S. at Its Own Game

This New York Times article is about the ongoing tensions between the US and China. China has recently tightened their export controls on rare earth elements, which are critical materials used in electrical vehicles, wind turbines, and most importantly advanced electronics used for AI. These new restrictions could disrupt industries worldwide and heighten US China trade tensions. Analysts say that with its dominance over the production of these rare earth minerals and its control of other strategic industries, China may have an even greater ability than the US to weaponize supply chains. This shows how deeply global manufacturing depends on China’s rare earth processing capacity and has forced countries to seek alternative sources.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/business/economy/china-rare-earths-supply-chain.html