The US has hit China where it hurts by going after its telecom champion Huawei, but Beijing's control of the global supply of rare earths used in smartphones and electric cars gives it a powerful weapon in their escalating tech war.
A seemingly routine visit by President Xi Jinping to a Chinese rare earths company this week is being widely read as an obvious threat that Beijing is standing ready for action.
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However, analysts say China appears apprehensive to target the minerals just yet, possibly fearful of shooting itself in the foot by hastening a global search for alternative supplies of the commodities.
Better buy your new devices now...
(Score: 4, Interesting) by donkeyhotay on Thursday May 23 2019, @02:01PM (2 children)
Why would I want them to weaponize rare earth elements? Firstly, we'll finally start having to pay the true cost of something, instead of letting the Chinese totally ruin their, and ultimately our, environment with their methods for extracting rare earth elements. Recycling of electronics will become feasible. Secondly, more expensive electronic doo-dads means less frivolous and mostly useless technology being placed in everything. Do we really need smart toasters? Do we really need RFIDs in our underwear?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 23 2019, @07:49PM (1 child)
No, we can still get our rare earths from the cheap child slave labor in the Congo and other countries.
(Score: 2) by donkeyhotay on Friday May 31 2019, @02:23PM
Good point, except the Chinese will probably get in there ahead of us to exploit them (if they haven't already).