earths

one will give in on tariffs, the other on rare earths

by

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping They have met in BusanSouth Korea, in their first face-to-face meeting in six years. The goal: to see if there was any way to deal with all the chaos of their trade war, one that has shaken global markets and threatened to destabilize the world economy. After shaking hands at Gimhae air base, Trump stated that it was going to be a successful meeting, although he also warned that Xi is “a difficult negotiator.” What has been agreed. After approximately ninety minutes of talks, Trump assured that there would be significant tariff reductions. On the one hand, the president claims that tariffs related to fentanyl will drop from 20% to 10%which would place the total tariff burden on Chinese products at around 47%, compared to the previous 57%. Just like the media points outChina, for its part, has agreed to postpone for a year new restrictions on the export of rare earths processed, critical minerals for sectors such as defense, technology and renewable energies. In addition, Beijing will resume the massive purchase of American soybeans, a relief for North American farmers, tremendously affected by the absence of China in their market this year. Why is it important. This meeting comes after months of commercial escalation which has made investors and allies alike nervous. Logically, the fact that the two largest economies on the planet confront each other has consequences at a global level. Chinese restrictions on rare earths and lithium batteries threatened to cripple essential supply chains, while US tariffs on technology have curbed China’s ambitions in artificial intelligence. Furthermore, the agreement reached in Kuala Lumpur prior consultations sets the stage for a truce that, if fulfilled, could inject stability into a highly volatile global economy. We have to wait for results. Despite the optimistic tone, there is room for caution. Trump and Xi have already signed a “phase one” agreement in 2020 that forced China to buy more American agricultural products, something that Beijing barely complied with, according to words from WSJ. This time there are more elements at stake: the suspension of US investigations into Chinese maritime and logistics industries, review of technological export controls, advances in the case of TikTokrare earths, Taiwan and more. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, both sides “have reached consensus while respecting principles of equality and mutual benefit.” It remains to be seen if that consensus ends up materializing. What was not touched. Trump claimed that Taiwan was not discussed at the meeting, allaying fears in Taipei about possible American concessions in exchange for trade advantages. Just like they explain From WSJ, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had already publicly ruled out this possibility days before. Regarding Ukraine, Trump said they discussed the issue “extensively” and that both countries will work together to find a solution, although he did not give details. Curiously, according to point The Guardian, minutes before the meeting, Trump ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, although the president later suggested it was not related to China. And now what. Xi has declared that both sides should “finish follow-up work as soon as possible” to implement the consensus reached. trump confirmed that he will visit China in April and that Xi will travel to the United States later. It remains to be seen if what Trump has loudly announced ends up materializing or if, on the contrary, it remains another meeting of unfulfilled promises. Cover image | Guardian In Xataka | China wants to achieve technological independence in the worst possible place for the US: its army

After China’s stick, the US already has a new partner to obtain rare earths

by

President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have signed a critical minerals deal with the potential to create projects worth up to $8.5 billion, according to says the NYT. The pact responds directly to the recent restrictions that China has imposed on its exports of rare eartha movement that Trump rated as “sinister and hostile.” Why it is important. Critical minerals and rare earths are essential materials for manufacturing everything from semiconductors to engines, brakes and military fighters. China currently dominates global supply of these resources, which makes any restriction on their part a direct threat to Western production chains. And therefore, diversifying the sources of these types of elements has become a strategic priority for both the Trump administration and the previous Biden administration. Agreement with Australia. According to the summary provided by the White House, the agreement contemplate that the United States and Australia jointly invest $3 billion in critical minerals projects over the next six months. For its part, Australia is committed to investing billions in American defense companies. The US Department of Defense will also participate in the construction of a new refinery in Australia capable of extracting 100 tons of gallium metal per year. “In about a year, we will have so many critical minerals and rare earths that we won’t know what to do with them,” claimed Trump optimistically during the meeting with Albanese. The Australian Prime Minister, for his part, stressed that this agreement on critical minerals takes the economic and security relationship between both countries “to the next level.” Plan of action. Albanese’s office has made clear that the agreement functions as an “action plan” that “does not constitute or create legally binding obligations.” This contrasts with the public statements of both leaders, who seemed very enthusiastic on camera about the agreement, according to point the middle. The Australian ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, already had advanced in August that Australia was “ready and able to help” diversify US supply chains, recalling that manufacturing a single Virginia-class submarine requires approximately 4.5 short tons of critical minerals and rare earth elements. This agreement also confirms Trump’s support for the AUKUS pactthe trilateral defense alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia announced in 2021 under the Biden administration. Trump, who had undergone a thorough review of AUKUS since July, said plans to deliver US-made submarines to Canberra were “moving forward very quickly.” However, he acknowledged that the project had progressed “too slowly” so far. US Navy Secretary John Phelan declared that the goal is to “improve the original AUKUS framework for all three parties and clarify some of the ambiguity that was in the previous agreement.” China’s door is not closed yet. With this move, the United States is closer to having access to these critical minerals from different parts of the world, reducing its dependence on China. In recent months, the US government has committed 75 million dollars to invest in Ukraine’s mineral reserves and has backed railway projects in Angola that will facilitate access to minerals in central Africa. Despite tensions with Beijing, Trump stated on Monday that he believes it is possible to reach a trade deal with China during his upcoming trip to Asia this month, where he is expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Cover image | Paul-Alain Hunt and Brandon Mowinkel In Xataka | China was the great polluter of the planet: now it is emerging as the first “electrostate” in history

China wants to imprison the world with its restrictions on rare earths. His greatest prey has escaped him

by

It’s been months since China presses the whole world with one of his great aces up his sleeve: rare earths. Last week he used them again to unbalance the balance of technological trade worldwide and imposed new restrictions to its export, but its attack has a gigantic hole. One called Taiwan. rare earths to me. Taiwan’s economy minister has revealed that the country does not expect there to be a big impact from these new restrictions from China. The reason is simple: such minerals are different from the metals needed in the semiconductor sector that Taiwan’s manufacturers and production plants dominate. Taiwan does not need China. In fact, both the products necessary domestically for the production of these chips and the rare earths used in their manufacturing processes come from Europe, the United States and Japan. This makes the country safe from the pressure that China wants to exert with its dominance of the rare earth segment. China tries to force the hand. China expanded significantly export controls on rare earths last Thursday. It added five new items to its list of minerals with restricted exports, but also imposed new scrutiny mechanisms for chip users. The change is not minor: any product manufactured outside the country that contains just 0.1% of materials of Chinese origin will need a license to be exported. TSMC safe. Taiwan is the largest chip factory in the world and for years it has TSMC as a major player in the sector. The company leads this segment and has become the great ally of the Western world when it comes to producing chips for the AI ​​industry. The Chinese restrictions do not appear to pose future dangers for TSMC and other manufacturers in the country, according to those statements. But. Even so, the economy minister added that these additional controls could affect global supply chains for various products. To clarify better: the direct impact may not be noticeable, but yes it could be the indirect onebecause for example ASML’s EUV scanners use rare earth magnets that could end up suffering delays due to these restrictions. And be careful with the “ripe chips”. For example, chips for electric vehicles and drones. China is precisely determined to dominate the mature circuit market: given that can’t compete At the moment with the most advanced manufacturing technology, what it wants is to be the main protagonist of less advanced but equally important chips in industries such as the automotive industry. Restrictions as a lever to negotiate. China’s measures in this regard They are just part of that commercial and technological war that it maintains with the West and, especially, with the United States. The reaction of the US government was immediate, and Donald Trump announced 100% additional tariffs on Chinese imports. Both superpowers try to use their assets to put pressure on their rival while waiting for a imminent negotiation: Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet in South Korea in late October. Image |Wikimedia | leannk

US responds to China’s new rare earths rules with 100% tariff threat that screams negotiation

by

Just a couple of days ago we knew China’s new rare earth rules with which it completely disrupted the global map of strategic minerals. Taking into account that the Asian giant supplies approximately 70% of strategic minerals to the world, it could be said that China is the global mine of an essential raw material for the technology industry. And that gives it a privileged position to apply a standard of this caliber: any product manufactured outside of China with at least 0.1% of materials of Chinese origin. will require a license for export. That is, it not only controls what leaves China, but also what other countries produce with their materials and technologies, being able to decide what is exported, to whom and for what purpose following national security criteria. After a few hours assimilating the news and speculation of a response from Donald Trump and even his non-attendance at the next event where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, The United States has announced new 100% tariffs unparalleled. New tariffs, more control and a date that invites negotiation The president of the United States has exploded in Truth Social talking about ‘an extraordinarily aggressive stance on commercial matters‘, of ‘an extremely hostile letter‘and of’a moral shame in dealing with other nations‘referring to China’s new measures on its rare earths, insisting that it affects both the products they manufacture and those they do not. Furthermore, he has asserted that ‘It was evidently a plan drawn up by them years ago.‘. More tariffs. Because Donald Trump has announced in Truth Social that the United States will impose a new 100% tariff on China, which will be added to any other tariffs already in place. Likewise, they will also impose export controls on all critical software. It must be taken into account that practically all products imported from China to the United States already have high tariffs, ranging from 50% on steel and aluminum to only 7.5% on consumer goods, with an effective tariff rate of around 40%, according to expert analysts from Wells Fargo Economics and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. AND has left a key date of entry into force: next November 1, 2025. Between the lines. The date chosen by Trump is not coincidental: it is exactly the same as China’s for the measures on rare earths to be operational. And its message hides several key words that refer to a predisposition to negotiation ‘from the November 1, 2025 (or sooner, depending on the actions or changes China takes)‘. He also insists that he (obviously) speaks on behalf of the United States and not ‘from other countries equally threatened‘ Throwing down a gauntlet to potential allies for their coup d’état. In Xataka | In 1978 Chinese engineers visited two key US companies. Upon his return, an empire began: rare earths In Xataka | An industry in the hands of TSMC and Asian factories: the map of global chip production Cover | Jose Alberto Lizana with AI

Change Earth’s rotation

by

The dams are colossal engineering works that provide numerous benefits to the surrounding cities, such as energy and flood protection. However, They are often accompanied by national and international controversies. And no dam has acquired both renown (and controversial) and the Chinese dam of The three throatsone of the most titanic construction projects on the planet and the largest hydroelectric dam. Its connected reservoir is capable of containing a volume of water so large that the rotation of the Earth has changed, extending the duration of the day by 0.06 microseconds. The three throats. Built along the Yangtze River in the province of Hubei, it was planned in 1919 by the first president of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen, as a measure to control the floods of the river and generate energy. But, above all, to become a symbol of China’s power. Although its construction would not begin until December 1994 and would be put into operation in 2009. It has more than 2 kilometers long and 182 meters high. When it is at its maximum point, can contain 42,000 million tons of water. Suffice it to say that 510,000 tons of steel were needed to build it, which would be needed to erect 60 Eiffel towers. What is it for? It has three objectives: flood control, hydroelectric energy production and improve navigation. Keep in mind that the three throats generates today 11 times more energy than the gigantic hoover preythe world’s largest power plant with 22,500 MW. And through 34 huge generators, supports a large part of the Chinese nation. Besides, Helps keep the Yangze River at baythe longest third in the world, during the flood season protecting adjacent cities such as Wuhan, Nanjing and Shanghai. It has slowed the rotation of the Earth. However, there is a price to pay to store so much water. Once the dam reservoir, the weight of the dough, which is more than 39 billion kilos, It is enough to slightly change the rotation of the earth. As? The inertia of the earth depends on its mass (water) and the distribution of that mass with respect to the axis of rotation. The axis of the Earth It is an imaginary pole that crosses the center of the earth from “up” to “down.” The earth revolves around this pole and performs a complete rotation every day. But as the dough is redistributed on the planet, This change slightly alters rotation. And the greater the distance of a mass (relocation of the water from other areas to the Chinese reservoir) to its axis of rotation, the slower it will turn, therefore It affects the duration of earth days. To understand the phenomenon, it is only necessary to visualize the turn movement of an ice skater: if its mass is uniformly distributed (for example, collecting their arms towards the body), it will turn better and faster after a few laps. If the dough changes, rotation and turn also change. The result. That means that raising 39 billion kilograms of water at 175 meters above sea level increases the inertia of the earth and, therefore, slows its rotation. However, according to NASA, the impact is minimal. His scientists calculated That the change of such mass increases the duration of the day by just 0.06 microseconds and makes the earth just a little more round in the center and flatter in the upper part. It has passed other times. In fact, hundreds of phenomena that alter that movement are produced every year. He tsunami that hit the Southeast Asia in 2004 or the 2010 Chilean earthquake They also affected the rotation of the planet. NASA then confirmed that the 2004 Indonesian earthquake had decreased the duration of the day by 2.68 microseconds. What affects us? Nothing. Although it sounds very shocking, the reality is that we will not notice any change. Miguel Sevilla, deputy director of the Institute of Astronomy and Geodesia, He defended years ago in this information article That these phenomena “have no greater significance, apart from the large material and human damage they cause.” Although they serve to warn us of “the effects they have on people, buildings and in nature.” Other controversies that do matter. In fact, beyond how this Chinese dam affects the rotation of the earth, the project has been plagued with other controversies that do significantly affect the life of humans and ecosystems. One of them is the amount of damage that causes the environment. It is estimated that 70% of China’s fresh water is contaminated and The dam could be worsening the situationsince it is based on old waste and mining operations facilities. Every year 265 million gallons of wastewater are deposited without treating on the Yangtze River. On the other hand, when the project was built, 1.2 million people were forced to relocate In new homes. And currently, the Chinese government is still migrating people out of the area. Image | Commons In Xataka | The demolition of the largest dam complex in the world has begun. Its controversial objective: resurrect a river

The “lost continents” of our planet are leaving their trail in an unthinkable place: the earth’s magnetic field

by

Life as we know it depends largely on the stability of the Earth’s magnetic field. But this stability (or the absence of this) depends in turn on factors that we still do not understand. Some of these factors are in the outer space, others instead are thousands of kilometers hidden under our feet. From the bottom up. Huge geological structures located in the land mantle They could be contributing To destabilize the magnetic field that protects the land from radiation and particles from space. These are the “sunk continents”, the large provinces of low speed (LLVP). Sunk continents. This last name is due to the fact that these rock masses located in the deep layers of the land mantle stand out from the rest of its surroundings because the seismic waves move more slowly through them. Through this method we know the existence of two large LLVP, one located under the African tectonic plaque and the other located under the peaceful plaque. We do not know exactly what they are or what is the origin of these rock masses. A hypothesis indicates that could be remains of the impact between the primal earth and a second planet called Theia. The Moon would be one of the results of that impact, another would be that part of The remains of Theia would have been “embedded” on earth, specifically in the mantle, giving rise to these “lost continents.” However, other studies have pointed out that these masses would be formed, at least partially of ocean cortex buried through subductive geological processes, which would make them more close to “lost continents” of the surface of the earth. The new study can be linked to this last hypothesis. Fed by a “fire ring.” The team He modeled the movements Convectives of the land mantle, also creating a reconstruction of the possible movement of the tecton plates on the surface of the Earth in the last 1,000 million years. Thus they found indications that the African dough would contain older and more “mixed” than the peaceful mass, which would contain 50% more oceanic crust, a more “young” cortex and different from the surrounding mantle. This could be explained with the call “Pacific Fire Ring”, A vast network of failures, many of them subductive that little by little they engulf part of the earth’s crust. This “banquet” would have been producing for at least 300 million years and would be serving to feed the Pacific LLVP. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Scientific Reportsof Nature. In diversity is the key. Until now, intuition pointed out that these two underground “continents” had a similar composition. The reason is precisely that the two slow down the passage of seismic waves in a similar way, which leads us to the intuition of thinking that these are very similar in their characteristics. However, the team responsible for the new work indicates that this may not be the case. The reason is that the temperature is more than the material that makes these regions slow the waves that cross them. The balance is complicated. The formations are more or less opposite in the Terrestrial globe, which in principle is great news: since these masses influence the way in which the temperature of the earth’s core is spread in higher layers, which in turn affects the conductive movements inside the nucleus of the planet. Since these movements are those that allow the existence of a magnetic field On Earth, the way in which they occur has a lot of impact on this field. If the LLVPs are different, the way in which the field is generated ceases to be symmetrical as one would expect, which gives rise to the appearance of imbalances. Discussing the different hypotheses. As we pointed out at the beginning, the new study can be linked to the idea that the LLVPs are the result of the sinking of earth cortex pieces and not the remains of a planet of the original solar system. Although the study does not offer conclusive evidence confirming this first hypothesis, It can be seen as a new more test in this address. In Xataka | Julio Verne was right: there are three times more water in the depths of the earth than in all oceans together Image | Oxford University; Panton, Davies, et al. (2025) / NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

China’s domain is spreading far beyond rare earths. Even where the US had no rival: the sea

by

While the United States is has launched yet to the search of those minerals and rare earths that China governs well above the rest of the planet, even with the pentagon and the Apple very Inverting a stratospheric sum, Beijing has been adding and building A small empire that begins to make many nations nervous. To Japan and Taiwan, who believed the seas as nobody: Washington. Maritime ambition. In a context of growing strategic rivalry with the United States, China has intensified their Naval operations long range as part of an explicit demonstration of its global ambition. Already We tell it: Between May and June, the aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong They carried out combined exercises in waters near Japan, operating beyond the so -called “First Islands Chain” and entering the “Second Chain”, including Guam in Equation, an important military enclave United States. Nerves The presence of these two aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific not only caused Concern in Japanbut also revealed the New scope of the Chinese Navy, which seeks train their units To operate independently, far from the continental coasts, both in peace and war times. The ability to perform air operations from ships in open sea (including Removal and landings of fighters and helicopters up to 90 times a day) provides China an operational experience that, although still incipient, anticipates a future use of these assets as force projection instruments beyond their immediate influence areas. Shandong Inroads under construction, in 2019 Aircraft carrier as a message. Beyond its military utility, Chinese aircraft carriers represent a powerful status symbol international. For the Government of Xi Jinping, the possession and deployment of these ships constitutes an affirmation that China has left behind the limitations of a regional power and progressly advanced towards the image of global power. Even though Three Chinese aircraft carriers current (the liaoning, the Shandong and the still inactive Fujian) operate with conventional propulsion and are below technologically of the Eleven nuclear aircraft carriers From Washington, his exercises are promoted in official media as an unequivocal signal of the country’s maritime rebirth. And one more when falling. In addition, the possibility that The fourth carriercurrently under construction, use nuclear propulsion and electromagnetic catapults indicates a gradual but ambitious evolution. Plus: The recent opening to the public Shandong in Hong Kongafter completing their maneuvers, reinforces that nationalist propaganda approach aimed at strengthening the legitimacy of Chinese leadership through military power. CNS FUJIAN Dispute for the Pacific. China’s aircrafts not only serve for training or to project distant influence, they also constitute a Operational tool Within the framework of Territorial disputes Activated in the Sea of South and Eastern China. Analysts agree that Beijing could use them to reinforce your claims in front of Japan, South Korea or Southeast Asian countries, or even to exert coercive pressure on Taiwan through A maritime block that prevents the flow of goods and communications. Although in a direct conflict with the United States the aircraft carriers would be vulnerable to missiles and torpedoes (and would probably have a limited role in a immediate confrontation by Taiwan), its value lies in the control of broad areas, surveillance, political intimidation and support for combined naval operations. As He pointed out A Japanese academic to NYT, these platforms allow pressure on both military and civil vessels, becoming a hybrid instrument of economic and military coercion. Evolutionary logic. From the Strait crisis from Taiwan in 1996, when the United States deployed two combat groups Of aircraft carriers to deter Beijing, China understood the need to develop its own naval response capacity. The starting point was the acquisition of the helmet of An old Soviet aircraft carrier In Ukraine, converted into the Liaoning and incorporated in 2012. Since then, the advance has been progressive but constant. The Shandong, released in 2017was the first built entirely in Chinese shipyards, while The Fujianeven in the test phase, it incorporates for the first time a system of Electromagnetic catapultkey technology to operate heavier and better armed aircraft. A long way. Despite these advances, experts like Narushige Michishita They warn in the New York Times That Chinese naval operations are still in a rudimentary phase, marked by a slow but disciplined learning curve. China prefers to avoid expensive errors and seeks, however, consolidate a coherent maritime doctrine and functional that allows, in a few decades, to compete from you to you with the great naval powers of the world. The Indo-Pacific Theater. Plus: the simultaneous display Of the Liaoning and Shandong in deep waters, it has a double value: it allows the Chinese fleet to operate in unknown environments and reinforces its capacities for future intervention scenarios in critical areas, such as the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf or even the Mediterranean. According to him Timothy Heath researcher of the Rand Corporation, the aircraft carriers will offer China the ability to project aerial missions in any balloon area Where your Navy sails, beyond the only foreign base that currently maintains in Yibuti. In that sense, the control of routes to the Middle East or the Strait of Malaca, vital for Chinese economic and energy interests, will probably be one of the Strategic objectives in the medium term. A symbols war. I remembered the Times that, as Beijing builds More warshipsconsolidated alliances with African countries and reinforces its port diplomacy in Asia and Africa, the Indo-Pacific converts On the board where a new naval power competition is outlined, with the aircraft carriers as a tool of that Geostrategic ambition. While the aircraft carriers do not guarantee maritime domain (especially in front of a power with Interdiction capabilities as the United States), its value lies both in its operational function and its symbolic weight. In other words, Beijing is no longer satisfied with defending their coasts, but with drawing routes on waters that, until recently, only dominated Your main rival. Image | RHK111, Tyg728, Ministry of National Defense The People’s Republic of China/ Li Gang/ Xinhua In Xataka | China … Read more

Japan believes to have the largest deposit of rare earths hidden on a tiny island. And it is already date to extract them

by

The Rare earth They are an element of great economic and geopolitical value and China stands as the greatest power. To its Japanese neighbors He didn’t make any grace have to depend on them and, after an exhaustive search, a year ago they found the treasure: A huge site of rare earths at the bottom of the ocean. Japan has already set date to start extracting them. January 2026. It is the date on which Japan will begin with the first test extraction, according to Nikkei Asia. They expected to start this year, but the delivery of the necessary duct to reach the deposit did not reach last May and delayed the project for a year. The duct, manufactured in the United Kingdom, has cost 12,000 million yen (about 71 million euros) and will allow them to reach a depth of 5,500 meters. The Chikyu. The Japanese Marine-Terrestrial Science and Technology Agency or JAMSTECfor its acronym in English, will use the chiichyu, the name received by the Japanese drilling boat with which these valuable minerals will extract. In 2022 they already did a test at 2,500 meters deep In front of the coast of the Ibaraki Prefecture, but the challenge they face now is to drill more than double deep: 5,500 meters. If they get it, it would be the first time that rare earths are extracted to so much depth. In the first phase, Chikyu will extract 35 tons of mud. It is estimated that a ton of mud contains about 2 kilos of rare earths, so, in the best case, we could be talking about 70 kilos of rare earths. A key discovery. As we said, Japan found the site almost a year ago in front of the island of Minami-Torishima, located about 1,900 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. The site is located in the exclusive economic zone of Japan, so their extraction corresponds to them. Among the minerals it contains, one of the most abundant would be gadolinio, used in the nuclear industry, and the disposium, used mainly in magnets for electric vehicles. It would also be rich in manganese, cobalt and nickel nodules, key components in the creation of batteries. The amount is not clear and is decisive. At first there was talk of a site of 16 million tons, which would place Japan in third place behind China (44 million) and Brazil (21 million). However, a Analysis of the University of Tokyo He pointed to the loot would be much more juicy: 230 million tons. If confirmed, Japan would overcome China and be placed as the largest reserve of rare earths in the world. Independence. Japan’s efforts to find rare earth date back to 2022 and had a clear goal: to be independent. Currently, Japan depends on imports to meet their needs of rare metals, with 60% of them from China. The Japanese government invested 6,000 million yen (about 42 million euros) in the first extractions and have made it a priority since then. Friction. As we said, China currently has the largest reserve of rare earth and that gives it A huge power. Just a few weeks ago something unusual happened: A combat fleet, headed by two Chinese aircraft carriershe entered the Japanese ZEE near the island of Minamitori. Japan He did not confirm If he presented a formal protest and just declared that he had sent “the appropriate message.” It is not the first time that China enters the Japanese area, nor are the friction between the two countries, But it is certainly a somewhat controversial maneuver given the economic importance of the area. Image | TNFSA In Xataka | Yonaguni’s Japanese island was known for its beauty and Bad Bunny. Now it is a military strength because of Taiwan

This city of China is the world epicenter of rare earths. The problem is that nobody thought of its inhabitants

by

To get an idea to what extent It has control Of those precious minerals that form the set of rare earths, the greatest enemy that China has is not outside its borders. It is such a monopolization in the sector that the danger has in “house” through of the smugglers. And of all enclaves, one stands out greatly as an epicenter of the entire heart. His name is Baotou, and everything that shines for the surrounding inhabitants is not gold. A normal city in appearance. Baotouan industrial core of 2.7 million inhabitants on the border with the Gobi desert, seems to the naked eye a second category Chinese city like so many others: shopping centers with western chains, local restaurants overflowing and children playing late. However, a short journey to the outskirts is enough to discover His true nature: A landscape dominated by factories, smoking chimneys and an environmental legacy forged by one of the most strategic and persecuted sectors of the planet. The heart of rare earths. Yes, the enclave houses More than 80% of the Rare reserves of China. Since in the 30s they were discovered in the nearby Mining District of Bayan Obo elements such as Cerio, Lantano or Samario, its exploitation has turned the city on a chain axis on global supply on industries such as electronics, automotive and defense. We have counted before: During the 90s, China increased its production by 450%, while other countries, such as the United States, They closed their mines. This concentration made Beijin the almost exclusive supplier of these critical metals, and today, in the midst of the commercial war with Washington, its control has been transformed In diplomatic weapon. Economy vs Human Cost. The problem? The Guardian told that mineral wealth has favored the economic development of Baotou, whose GDP per capita It widely exceeds the national average. However, prosperity has Your reverse: Processing plants generate toxic (often radioactive) waste that are discharged into huge artificial rafts. The most infamous, the Weikuang dam, for years was the largest landfill of rare earth waste on the planet, without adequate coating and directly close to the Yellow River. In fact, official reports have confirmed that these activities caused a 87% decrease of ammoniacal nitrogen in a tributary between 2020 and 2024, although accumulated ravages remain visible. Yin mountains on the outskirts Cancer and poison. For example, numerous studies They have documented devastating consequences in the health of nearby communities: from bone malformations to a “Epidemic” of cancer. Exposure to these elements, capable of crossing the blood brain barrier, has been associated with motor and sensory disabilities, as well as alterations in fetal neurological development. Not just that. 2020 investigations revealed that the dust of the streets contains concentrations so high that the children of Baotou and surroundings are exposed to dangerous levels Just to breathe. Daily particle ingestion rates in mining areas far exceed the limits considered safe. A washing … halfway. Given the growing international criticism, China has tried to clean its image. In 2022, state media announced that Weikuang’s dam had been transformed into an urban wetland, now supposed paradise of migratory birds. The reality? Explained the medium British that when arriving at the place, what one is located is a concrete wall that hides a dry and desolate lodazal. Behind, ruins of ancient “villages of cancer” and oxidized industrial structures extend. New homes built for displaced are practically empty, and foreign journalists are It usually blocks actively to prevent them from talking to residents. Rural sacrifice. So things, Baotou exemplifies an uncomfortable truth: the China domain In the rare earth market it has been possible not only for its geological reserves, but for a political decision where rural communities have been allowed to support Toxic costs of a globalized economic boom. It is not an exempt problem from China, of course, the same thing happens in other sectors such as AI and its data centers (we recently counted it with the Elon Musk Supercomputer). Be that as it may, and although there are less polluting technologies to process these metals, they are rarely used: its implementation would make the low costs that have cemented the Chinese position. If you want, in a context of growing international pressure and commercial sanctions, the extractive model It reveals both the fragility of environmental balance and the rawness of contemporary geostrategic priorities. Image | 柏尔莫华, 天王星 In Xataka | The key to China’s success with rare earths are not the rare earths: it is the magnet In Xataka | China’s domain of rare earths has nothing to do with geography: it is born from 39 university programs

The key to China’s success with rare earths are not the rare earths: it is the magnet

by

The response of the Chinese administration to the tariff pressure to which the United States wanted to submit in early April was immediate: significant restrictions on the export of rare earths. A measure that ended up relaxing this week, with the granting of licenses of export for six months. A truce to which the United States accessed by lowering another of the key elements in this commercial war: The admission of Chinese students in American universities. These are one of the most important pieces of the geopolitical board: they are scarce chemical elements, difficult to extract and refine, and a key resource For the technological, automotive and energy industry, among many others. China is controlling access to these elements to defend their interests, but the key is not just to isolate its rivals of this precious material: is in the disability outside China to take advantage of them. China is the fundamental piece in its prosecuted. China controls rare earth production by 70% and 90% processing them. In the case of heavy strange earth, a subgroup of them even more scarce, their participation in the refining is 99%. According to the newspaper The New York TimesChina has up to 39 university programs so that its students can train and develop their career in the chemical industry specializing in this field. It is just a sample of the importance it has for the country led by Xi Jinping to continue controlling this geopolitical weapon. This graph is the best visual test of China’s domain in rare earths. The access toll. Although the focus on how they are affecting the restrictions on the export of rare earths to the supply chain is currently, there is a key that has gone unnoticed: the real problem is not access, it is the difficulty of working even in the case of obtaining them. When the Ministry of Commerce of China and the General Administration of Customs They imposed access controls for the export of medium and heavy rare earthsthe supply chain staggered. From their entry into force, all exporters were obliged to obtain specific licenses for each shipment, even if they are products in which they have already been refined, such as magnets. Why touch the rest. These licenses are a complex bureaucratic process, slow and studied case by case. Although the primary political objective is the United States, European companies that need heavy land (or materials manufactured with them, such as magnets), are seeing supply interruptions. Suzuki has already arrested swift production in Japan Due to the scarcity of pieces, Musk You are having trouble building your robots and, in Europe, the secretary general of CLA (European Association of Automation Suppliers) made an urgent call: production is entering the paralysis phase. “With a deeply interconnected global supply chain, China’s export restrictions are already paralyzing production in the European supplier sector.” The magnet as geopolitical treasure. William Huo, ex-intel and one of the most prominent figures in the critical analysis of Western industrial policy, summarizes it in the best possible way: West has been focusing on optimizing spreadsheets instead of factories, And now he is not able to manufacture a single magnet. The industry depends on the Chinese refining of rare earths to manufacture high performance magnets. Without them, there is no competitiveness in electric cars, defense, nuclear or consumer technology. The rest is not prepared to refine rare earths. “Middle East has oil. China has rare earths.” They are words of Den Xiaoping in 1992, who was the top leader of the People’s Republic of China. The country has been acquiring the necessary knowledge to extract and refine these materials, while the rest of the world enjoyed a comfortable (and economic) dependence. West has tried to self -abuse with at least 10% of the remaining rare lands. Countries like Norway and Sweden are finding new deposits, and have confirmed the intention of exploiting them not beyond 2030. None of this is enough. Refining is the main bottleneck for the use of rare earths in industry, an expensive, sensitive process and with complex waste management. In Xataka | China has built the most elegant economic power lever in modern history: rare earths

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.