Rare-earth element

US got pandas from China. Trump needs a lot more than that

Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping traded goodwill and extended a trade truce, but the rivalry hasn't softened. Soybeans, rare earths and Taiwan will show whether Beijing is playing ball.

The U.S. Rare Earth Playbook Provides a Blueprint for Supply Chain Securitization

Washington is arming itself against weaponization of rare-earth-element supply chains. On August 24, the Department of Defense’s Economic Defense Unit (EDU) announced a $750 million offtake agreement...

Why NATO Should Pivot Toward Economic Security

In the coming decades, military burden-sharing won’t be enough to ensure Transatlantic security.

China Targets the U.S. Rare Earth Comeback

The short pause in U.S.-China minerals warfare is over. The May 2026 Trump-Xi summit in Beijing raised hopes of extending the critical minerals truce that began at the October 2025 Busan summit, where...

U.S. Turns to Central Asia To Combat China’s Rare Earth Dominance

The United States is vulnerable to Chinese control over critical mineral supply chains. To reduce its dependence on Beijing, Washington is increasingly looking to Central Asia. On June 10, U.S. special...

Forging a New Critical Minerals Reality

China Reportedly Blocks Rare Earth Exports to Japan, Targeting Defense Supply Chains

New Year, same bullying. On January 8, The Wall Street Journal reported that China halted the export of rare earths and rare earth magnets to some Japanese firms in direct retaliation for Tokyo’s possible...

China Pauses Some Rare Earth Export Curbs While Retaining Levers of Control

While China may have officially halted some hostile trade actions, Beijing isn’t laying down its most potent weapons. On November 9, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced a one-year delay...

Beijing’s Minerals Brinkmanship May Backfire

The Communist Party’s anxiety reflects how quickly investor confidence and allied coordination hardened after the announcement.

Information Communications Technologies (ICT) Supply Chain Strategy

Elemental Strategy

Countering the Chinese Communist Party’s Efforts to Dominate the Rare Earth Industry

Defusing Military-Civil Fusion

The Need to Identify and Respond to Chinese Military Companies