How critical minerals became Beijing’s ultimate trump card in US-China trade war

By Sylvia Ma and Fan Chen – myNews

Beijing is still tightening its grip over supplies of rare earths and other key minerals despite the tariff truce, allowing it to cut off US access at will.

In mid-March, customs officers in Hong Kong uncovered an unusual smuggling operation.

When the officials cracked open a 40-foot shipping container near the city’s northern border, they did not uncover stacks of illegal drugs or counterfeit goods, but more than 25 tonnes of antimony – a rare metal used to make advanced military equipment that has been subject to strict export controls in China since last year.