According to Reuters, the Group of Seven (G7) held a ministerial-level trade meeting in Paris on the 6th.

The joint statement released after the meeting expressed "serious concern" over China's dominant position in critical mineral supply chains, pledged to "work to ensure that any attempt or threat to weaponize economic dependence fails," and reached a consensus on "reducing reliance on China."

This statement directly targets China, with two core demands:

* Accusations of "economic coercion": The G7 stated it aims to "ensure any attempt to weaponize economic dependence fails"—clearly reflecting concerns that China might impose export controls on critical minerals such as rare earths, lithium, and cobalt, similar to how it has restricted gallium and germanium.

* Promoting "de-risking": The countries acknowledged "serious concerns" about China’s supply chain and aim to establish an exclusive "critical minerals alliance," modeled after the International Energy Agency (IEA) created during past oil crises, to reduce dependency on China.

Although the rhetoric is strong, its actual implementation remains questionable:

The U.S. and Europe are not truly aligned—on the very day of the meeting, the United States announced raising tariffs on EU automobiles from 15% to 25%, creating tense atmosphere. The EU wants to reduce reliance on China but fears being dominated or cut off by the U.S. in key mineral reserves, leading to evident internal distrust.

Significant industrial disadvantages: A report by the European Court of Auditors admits that the EU’s efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese minerals “are failing.” Experts point out that China holds advantages in refining, processing, and full industrial chain integration; Western nations cannot bridge this technological gap simply by mining raw materials.

For minerals like rare earths, China has already implemented export controls and established a compliant general licensing system. This means China is not cutting off supplies entirely, but rather controlling the flow and timing—making it difficult for the G7 to find sufficient and affordable alternative suppliers.

The statement reveals that the G7 seeks to reshape global supply chains through a "small-circle" rule—but doing so risks disrupting markets and increasing their own costs for green transition.

The statement serves as preparation for the upcoming G7 leaders’ summit in June. It will be crucial to watch whether a permanent secretariat will be established to implement specific countermeasures.

In summary, this reflects the collective anxiety among Western nations regarding supply chain security—words are bold, but the path ahead remains long.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864561532527628/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.