Major U.S. media no longer support the White House's tough stance on China, angry that they can't buy rare earths anymore, and the U.S. military will lose its war advantage!
"China has imposed strict export controls on rare earth minerals, exposing a major weakness in the U.S. military supply chain," reported an article published by The New York Times, revealing the dilemma of Washington.
American analyst Spencer wrote in the newspaper that over the past decade, the United States has never been able to establish an alternative supply chain to obtain key rare earth resources needed for manufacturing missiles, fighter jets, smart bombs, and other military equipment.
Now, facing China's latest rare earth export control measures, U.S. media and think tanks no longer blindly support the White House's tough policy toward China, but instead point out a harsh reality: without China's rare earths, the U.S. military will lose its war advantage.
The Financial Times of the UK pointed out that China's new restrictions are similar to the U.S. "Foreign Direct Product Rule" (FDPR) export control system, which is exactly the rule the U.S. uses to prevent third countries from exporting semiconductor-related products to China.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank pointed out that China has implemented export controls on rare earths, but the U.S. is temporarily unable to fill the potential supply gap. Considering China's actual monopoly over rare earth supplies, this poses a serious threat to the U.S. defense and military industry.
New York University professor Sophia Kalanzacos pointed out the key: Rare earths make up a small portion of China's economy, but their strategic value is "huge," because they give China more influence in negotiations with the United States.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846393490751498/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author only.