“Control over rare earth elements … is a central determinant of geopolitical power and industrial sovereignty in the 21st century.” — —Dr. Kalim Siddiqui[1]

As part of US-China trade talks, we are hearing a great deal about China’s near-total domination over rare earth elements, or REES. Beijing controls extraction, refining, and the global supply chains — over 70% of production, 85-90 % of refining, and 92% of the global output in processing.

These 17 elements on the periodic table are virtually ubiquitous in everything from Tomahawk missiles, high-end smartphones, and lasers to submarines, electric motors, and satellites. Just one example: A single F-35 fighter jet contains 417 kilograms — 920 pounds of rare earth materials.

The US relies on China for about 70% of its rare-earth imports. Here, it’s important to note that although these minerals account for only 0.004 percent of total US imports, no other country can replace China as a source. Invest.com reports that China’s rare-earth exports to the US fell 37% in April 2025.

Ensuring access to REES is viewed as a critical matter of national security, but China has achieved an “extraordinary lever in its contest with the United States.”[2] As Prabhat Patnik recently observed, when it comes to rare earths, the historical methods of neo-colonial domination, coups, and brute force plunder are not available for US capitalist imperialism.[3] Attempting to negotiate with Beijing is the only option at this point, and this puts China in a highly advantageous position.

China’s new five-year plan, covering 2026-2030, says the country will adopt “extraordinary measures” that include enhancing “the exploration, development, and creation of reserves of strategic mineral resources.” In addition, the new licensing requirement seeks “full chain” regulation to cover mining, refining, and smelting. Following a meeting on Thursday, China said it would suspend for a year the export controls it had announced on October 9, but will “study and refine” the regulations. More importantly, China did not say it would back away from earlier export controls on seven types of rare earth materials, except for exports requiring licenses issued by the Ministry of Commerce. (NYT, October 30, 2025)

All this suggests that China will use its rare-earth mineral monopoly to slow down or impede the US military and high-tech sectors. Those who support “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics” and don’t buy into Prof. John Mearsheimer’s realist theory of international politics will welcome this check on the imperialist world system.

[1] Dr. Kalim Siddiqui, “Rare Earth, Critical Minerals: Geopolitics, China and Emerging Tensions,” The World Financial Review, September 23, 2025.

[2] Charles-Henry Monchau, “China’s Rare Earth: The Winning Card in the Trade War With the US,” Investing.com. 06/28/202

[3] Prabhat Patnik, “Once more on minerals and imperialism,” MRonline, July 28. 2025.

The post “The Middle East Has Oil; China Has Rare Earths.” — Deng Xiaoping first appeared on Dissident Voice.

This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.