Rare earth mineral export controls are the single most significant issue in the current superpower rivalry between the US and China.

“it seems to me that if you're looking for one choke point, uh one issue that might do more than anything else to decide the superpower rivalry between the US and China, it would probably have to be at this stage anyway, rare earths. It really is that important, it seems to me.”

The speaker views the deal between the US and Ukraine regarding rare earth minerals as a prospective agreement that allows President Zelensky to offer Donald Trump a symbolic victory.

“if you look at the way he has managed to um keep his country together and to rally support, you know, the man's incredibly intelligent. um for him to have signed that what he did at least at some level was to give Donald Trump a victory at the same time that Putin has been routinely denying him thos”

China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth minerals that is essential to the global economy and defense sector.

“Now, understand that the rare earth minerals are damn near a monopoly in the hands of China. They have spent since Deng Xiaoping, they have spent the last 30 years building the most robust extraction and processing industries for the rare earth minerals.”

The United States is vulnerable due to China's control of the rare earth mineral supply chain and must increase domestic mining.

“China because of our inaction and stupid policies over the last couple of decades control now 80% of the world's supply chain that cannot stand. Now what they're doing is they're choking it off.”