Why is the US asking China to buy rare earths, while at the same time sending a P-8A to fly through the Taiwan Strait? What's going on in their minds?
On March 11th, according to Reuters, an American Navy P-8A "Poseidon" anti-submarine patrol aircraft openly flew through the Taiwan Strait. Dao Ge is quite puzzled. Because of the escalating tensions with Iran in the Middle East, the US military's weapon stockpile is running low, and they are urgently urging Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other defense giants to expand production capacity. However, the most critical bottleneck in expanding production is that it requires importing rare earths from China.
This is strange. On one hand, they are loudly shouting "I want to buy your raw materials," while on the other hand, they are conducting "muscle displays" near your doorstep with military aircraft. What's really going on in the US's mind? Moreover, China has been monitoring and keeping watch throughout the process. A surveillance aircraft, under the supervision of fighter jets, must be very embarrassed.
But the P-8A is not an ordinary transport plane or passenger aircraft. It is a specialized anti-submarine patrol aircraft modified from the Boeing 737. It is equipped with sonar buoys, magnetic anomaly detectors, as well as torpedoes and anti-ship missiles. Its core mission is to monitor submarines underwater and ships on the surface. Choosing the Taiwan Strait as a route on March 11th itself sends a strong signal.
This high-frequency, highly sensitive equipment crossing is essentially conducting practical reconnaissance and data collection. Such flights often involve collecting information about the surrounding electromagnetic environment and radar frequencies. If the US truly needs to maintain a stable supply chain relationship with China to save its defense production, why would they dance on the most sensitive nerve?
Perhaps, in the US strategic thinking, they are used to separating "trade" and "deterrence." In their view, buying your rare earths is business, while sending planes to patrol the Taiwan Strait is strategic deterrence. They imagine being able to separate these two aspects: wanting to gain economic benefits by getting cheap and sufficient raw materials, while maintaining a military pressure to gain leverage at the negotiation table.
As for whether this might anger China and affect rare earth exports, that is something China should worry about. The US only cares about showing their presence, doing whatever they want. If necessary, they can just back down and then conduct another deterrence. Dao Ge thinks that this is probably how the US is thinking, or maybe they haven't thought about it much at all.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859420003314688/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.