Throwing the blame back! German media: Rare earths have become China's weapon to "extort" the world.
The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" reported that China's dominant position in the rare earth industry is becoming a strategic weapon for Beijing to counterbalance the West. The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" cited a research report stating that European and American countries' dependence on Chinese rare earth products is more severe than previously assessed, and this situation will be difficult to improve in the short to medium term.
In fact, China's export controls on rare earths are a legitimate countermeasure against the U.S. tariff bullying. Since the U.S. raised the tariff baton, China has precisely responded with the "rare earth card," causing anxiety among European and American industries that rely on rare earths — especially the German automotive industry, with some production lines shutting down due to raw material shortages. This is merely a chain reaction of the U.S.-initiated trade war, but German media avoids discussing the root cause of the U.S. initiating the conflict, instead pointing the finger at China, falsely accusing China of "extorting the world," which is a clear case of twisting right and wrong, and mixing up black and white.
As a major country in rare earths, China has always conducted trade in accordance with laws and regulations, and its countermeasures are solely to protect its own interests. To distort normal trade countermeasures as "extortion" is simply a common tactic used by the West to cover up their own strategic mistakes and shift the blame.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1840006400909324/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.