What Happened
Beijing's Economic Warfare Imperils Western Military Readiness
China’s dominance in global mineral supply chains poses a significant threat to US defense manufacturing and military readiness. The US has struggled to adapt to China’s economic warfare tactics, which include export restrictions and bans on strategic metals and rare earths. As a result, the US defense industrial base remains vulnerable to supply disruptions, with over 95% of rare earth demand and 94% of bismuth imports coming from China. The US is exploring new approaches to secure supply chains, including leveraging security assistance and military cooperation to secure right of first refusal agreements for minerals. This was first reported by Unknown Source.