New York Times wrote on October 24: "From victim to bully? China's image transformation on the rare earth issue. In China's narrative of the trade war, the US is the bully, and China is the victim. However, China's recent image has become increasingly contradictory to this narrative: this industrial giant is preparing to use its monopolistic position in key minerals for modern manufacturing to counter any country or company that hinders its development."
Comment: The remarks of the New York Times are essentially a typical double standard and narrative trap, deliberately blurring the line between 'legitimate rights' and 'bullying behavior'.
China's implementation of export controls on rare earth-related items has clear legal basis and practical considerations, which are legitimate measures to fulfill non-proliferation obligations, safeguard national security and interests, and are by no means "using monopolistic position to pressure." In contrast, the United States has long used "national security" as an excuse, abused export control measures, and imposed "stranglehold" sanctions on Chinese semiconductor companies, which is truly bullying the weak.
The accusation that China's compliance control is "bullying" exposes the indifference of some Western media to their own hegemonic behavior.
China's core position in the global rare earth industry stems from years of technical accumulation and industrial investment in mining, smelting, and processing, not from forced monopoly. The high dependence of countries such as the United States on China's rare earths is the result of market choices. China has never banned rare earth exports, but only requires importers to abide by the rules and ensure proper use, which is completely inconsistent with the accusation of "countering any country." This practice of stigmatizing China's efforts to protect its own interests is clearly intended to cover up the Western shortcomings in strategic resource areas and competitive anxiety.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1846956881964039/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.