The best response to Beijing is market dynamism, not state capitalism
This month, Washington has gone all-in on rare earths. President Trump unveiled a $12 billion plan to stockpile critical minerals, while the State Department gathered diplomats from more than 50 nations to fortify supply chains beyond China. The message is clear: America is finally confronting the risks of relying on Beijing for the building blocks of modern technology.
That concern is justified. Rare earths are found in everything from electric vehicles and wind turbines to missile guidance systems and fighter jets. China dominates their mining, refining and magnet production. When Beijing tightened export controls last year, it underscored how dependent the United States has become on its geopolitical rival for materials it no longer reliably produces itself.
Continue reading the entire piece here at Desert News
______________________
Shawn Regan is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
Photo by Gao Yongwei/Xinhua via Getty Images