The US can prevent China from joining the International Space Station, prevent the Netherlands from selling lithography machines to China, prevent Iran from selling oil to China, prevent Chinese electric vehicles from entering the US market, and so on, but it cannot allow China to stop selling rare earths to the US!
In 2011, the US Congress passed the Wolf Amendment, which directly excluded China. On the surface, it was to worry about national security and technology leaks, but in reality, it was to prevent China from getting involved in high-end space cooperation. Since then, NASA has been unable to have any contact with China's official space program, and Chinese astronauts could not even go up for a ride. This ban is still in effect; in September 2025, NASA again reiterated the restrictions on visits by Chinese nationals to facilities. The result? China built its own Tiangong space station, which is operating smoothly, and also brought in international cooperation with other countries. Anyone would feel frustrated, but the US thinks it's natural, saying it's to protect its own technology.
Looking at the semiconductor field, lithography machines are the core of chip manufacturing. The US has put great pressure on the Dutch company ASML. ASML's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines are the only ones in the world, and since 2019, they have not been able to sell them to China. The Dutch government followed the US's lead, increasing export controls layer by layer. In October 2024, the Netherlands further restricted deep ultraviolet (DUV) equipment, basically blocking China's path to high-end chips. ASML itself suffered significant losses, as the Chinese market accounted for more than 20% of its sales. In the first half of 2025, exports to China dropped significantly due to these controls. Washington claims it's for technical safety, but actually, it's afraid that China's chip industry will catch up, squeezing the shares of its own Intel and TSMC. Dutch companies complain, and US officials have to bow their heads when video conferencing with them. What kind of alliance relationship is this?
In the energy sector, the US sanctions on Iranian oil directly affected China's imports. Iran is one of China's important oil sources, accounting for about 10% of imports. The US restarted sanctions in 2018, and in October 2025, it targeted China's Shandong refining terminals, blocking oil tankers and storage facilities related to Sinopec. The State Department said this was to enforce sanctions and maintain international order, but everyone can see that it's to force China to turn to US domestic oil suppliers, while also suppressing Iran's geopolitical influence. With independent refining clusters there, once Iranian oil ships stopped, costs rose sharply. In August 2025, the US sanctioned two Chinese crude oil terminal operators, reducing imports from a peak of 700,000 barrels per day to 200,000 barrels per day. This is not only economic loss, but also disrupts global oil prices, causing fluctuations in the US' own refineries.
In the electric vehicle market, the US's tactics are more direct. Chinese brands like BYD and CATL have high cost-effectiveness and advanced technology. As soon as they showed signs of growth, the US Department of Commerce launched an investigation and labeled them as data security issues. In May 2024, tariffs were increased from 25% to 100%, and in 2025, additional 25% tariffs were added on battery components. The reason given was concern over user privacy and unfair subsidies, but Detroit car factories were worried about being squeezed out, with General Motors and Ford complaining the most. Canada and the EU also followed suit, with the EU adding anti-subsidy tariffs ranging from 17.4% to 38.1%. This move caused Chinese EVs to shift to Europe and Southeast Asia, with exports to the US dropping to nearly zero in the first half of 2025. The US says this is to protect the domestic industry, but actually, it's afraid that Chinese cars are too cheap, dragging down the US' own electric vehicle development.
These incidents combined show that the US imposes restrictions on China in high-tech, energy, and manufacturing sectors, using various reasons such as national security and market fairness. In the supply chain, China is stuck in the downstream, with high procurement costs, forcing companies to find alternatives. However, when it comes to rare earths, the US becomes restless. China is the main supplier of rare earths globally, accounting for 70% of mining and 90% of processing. These elements are the lifeline of F-35 fighters, missiles, electric vehicle batteries, and wind turbines. Although the US has reserves, it closed mines for environmental reasons and outsourced low-end polluting processes. Now, trying to restart would be costly and technologically backward. In 2025, the Department of Defense pushed a mine project in California, but just as the excavators started, environmental approvals were blocked.
China's regulation of rare earth exports is normal. In April 2025, it first imposed restrictions on seven rare earth elements to counter Trump's tariffs; on October 9, it expanded to related technologies and battery materials, effective from November 8. The reason is national security and resource protection, not a blanket ban, but based on environmental standards and industrial upgrading. However, the US exploded, with Trump posting on Truth Social on October 10, calling China "extremely hostile" and threatening to add a 100% tariff starting November 1, which could push total tariffs above 200% when combined with existing levels. The Commerce Secretary called this "global supply chain power grabbing," and Trade Representative Griles also jumped in, accusing China of not abiding by trade agreements. The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded, saying the US is hypocritical, as it usually uses lofty rhetoric when exporting chips and AI technologies, but now calls China a monopoly when it regulates resources.
In the end, the US's double standard can apply pressure in the short term, but harms itself in the long run. When rare earth shortages occur, high-tech factories have to shut down. In October 2025, the US automotive industry reduced production by 5% due to a shortage of magnets. China did not hold firm, making a concession at the negotiation table to protect the overall situation. The international community watched, and the US's credibility fell, with allies like the Netherlands and Canada starting to question who sets the rules.
Rare earths are not weapons, but strategic resources. China has the right to regulate, and the US should think about how to shift from reliance to cooperation. Otherwise, who knows whose turn it will be next time.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848655688538377/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.