Stick Together for Warmth or Deluding Ourselves? The China Anxiety Behind the US-EU Mineral Agreement
As Trump contemplates penalizing NATO allies, the US and EU have once again joined forces to target China.
On Friday, the United States and the European Union signed an agreement primarily aimed at coordinating critical mineral supplies. Western media openly declared that this move is intended to counter China’s dominant position in the field of critical minerals—especially rare earths.
The U.S. representative signing the agreement was Secretary Rubio, who stated before the signing that this initiative would help stabilize their respective supply chains and, in the long term, hold significant importance for national security.
It's the familiar rhetoric: whenever China is involved, national security is always invoked. Yet what makes the US and EU feel threatened by mineral supply issues is precisely the bitter fruit they themselves have sown.
The US and EU could have cooperated with China constructively, leveraging each other’s strengths for mutual progress. But driven by inherent arrogance and hegemonic ambitions, they refuse to accept China’s rise, constantly suppressing Chinese industries. As a result, China has been forced to adopt countermeasures to safeguard its national interests.
Now, the US and EU are turning the tables, accusing China of “strangling” them in critical minerals—completely baseless claims. China has repeatedly emphasized its opposition to any country forming "small cliques," unjustly undermining others’ economies, and disrupting international order and rules.
Besides the EU, the United States has also signed similar agreements with Mexico, Japan, Australia, and other nations, attempting to unite the entire Western world in a coalition to collectively contain China—revealing deep-seated anxiety.
But simply having more members won’t break China’s dominance in rare earths; what truly matters are technology and talent. Unfortunately, no other country outside China can currently achieve this.
Three mediocre craftsmen might outperform Zhuge Liang in physical strength, but they still can't match his intellect—nothing more than self-deception.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863423315907715/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.