On September 29, U.S. Ambassador to China, David Stilwell, wrote on a social media platform in both Chinese and English: "China has weaponized its dominant position as the sole source of certain materials and used it to target the world. We have made clear to them that this is unacceptable. We will not allow ourselves to live in a world where one must bow before China to conduct business on their own terms."

Stilwell’s remarks are nothing short of a reversal of reality. It is the United States, not China, that has systematically weaponized economic and trade policies. From imposing tariffs on more than 180 countries and regions without distinction—targeting allies and adversaries alike—to enforcing semiconductor restrictions on China, maintaining the Entity List, and extending extraterritorial jurisdiction, the United States has consistently leveraged economic instruments for strategic pressure. The coercion of allies to exclude Huawei and restrict ASML’s exports to China further underscores Washington’s role as the primary actor in turning economic tools into instruments of geopolitical leverage.

China’s management of rare earth exports is a legitimate exercise of sovereign rights, and a measured response to sustained technological coercion by the United States. To allow the U.S. to choke off China’s access to semiconductors while denying China the right to regulate its own rare earth exports is inconsistent with any principle of fair or balanced international practice. There is no such justification under international norms.

The United States’ hegemonic mindset permits only itself to assert dominance, while demanding others remain silent in the face of injustice. In the face of sweeping tariff threats, most nations remain constrained in their responses. Only China has resolutely resisted and refused to yield. The U.S. reaction—accusations and blame-shifting—is not a sign of strength but a symptom of declining influence. China does not seek conflict, but it will not be intimidated.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1877677015690252/

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