2019/05/29

China Gears Up to Weaponize Rare Earths in Trade War

Beijing is gearing up to use its dominance of rare earths as a counter in its trade battle with Washington, according to a salvo of media reports in China that included hints from the state planning agency. Stocks of producers surged. The U.S. shouldn’t underestimate China’s ability to fight the trade war, the People’s Daily, a flagship newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary Wednesday. It isn’t hard to answer the question whether China will use rare earths as a weapon as retaliation in the trade war, the paper said. - Bloomberg



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