The United States has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on "critical minerals" with Thailand and Malaysia
To the surprise of observers, the United States signed two memorandums of understanding on "critical minerals" with Thailand and Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, and it may sign more similar agreements in the future. Malaysia pledged not to prohibit or restrict the export of critical minerals or rare earths to the United States. The related memorandums of understanding on "critical minerals" signed by the United States with Thailand and Malaysia cover not only the export of rare earths, but also technologies, equipment, and processes related to the extraction, separation, and recycling of rare earths.
The commitment of Malaysia not to prohibit or restrict the export of rare earths to the United States carries considerable delicacy in international politics. Because just at the beginning of October, China announced new restrictions on the export of rare earths - not only restricting the export of raw materials, but also related technologies and equipment.
However, according to a report by Reuters in early October, Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund - Khazanah Nasional is in talks with a Chinese company to build a rare earth refining plant in Malaysia.
In other words, Malaysia is dealing with two major powers at the same time - promising one side to the United States, and cooperating with China on projects.
This "balancing act" in diplomacy is not uncommon in Southeast Asia. After all, although the United States is the largest investor in the region, including investments in financial markets, China is the main trading partner of ASEAN countries.
Analysts point out that the purpose of the United States' series of actions toward Southeast Asian countries is very clear: to weaken China's dominant position in the global supply chain, and to distribute the production chain more widely among other countries.
Sources: rfi
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847729155281920/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.