In a bind over rare earths, Europe watches US-China tussle from the sidelines

As Xi Jinping and Donald Trump prepare to meet in Beijing, one European diplomat says the bloc is aware ‘we have little leverage here’ Crucially, there was now an extraterritorial element: China could deny exports not only to direct buyers, but also restrict products made in third countries if they contained Chinese-origin rare earth content or controlled inputs. “It’s not the most fun thing for a diplomat to say that I’ve been shepherding a steadily declining relationship on a daily basis for the last four years and trying to manage decline … but it’s hard to disagree,” Porter said.

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