Rare earths are a group of 17 chemical elements used in everything from high-tech consumer electronics to military equipment. In a commentary headline “United States, don’t underestimate China’s ability to strike back“, the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily noted the “uncomfortable” dependence on rare earths from China of the United States. “Will rare earths become a counter weapon for China to hit back against the pressure the United States has put on for no reason at all? “Undoubtedly, the U.S. side wants to use the products made by China’s exported rare earths to counter and suppress China’s development. The industrial chain between China and the United States is highly integrated and highly complementary, and there are no winners in a trade war, it said.

Source: New Strait Times May 29, 2019 03:45 UTC