Reaction rather than intention

July 9, 2026

This article perhaps unintentionally leaves the impression that China imposed its tighter controls over rare earths as a weapon against the US and the West. In reality China has reacted to sanctions, tariffs and other weapons the US and Europe have unashamedly used to prevent or stall Chinese economic growth and to limit its capacity to defend itself.

The controls on rare earth exports have been imposed as a reaction to the aggressive measure taken by the US against it and also because it wishes for a peaceful and cooperative world in alignment with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence which originated during December 1953 negotiations between Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. China has made these five principles the basis of its foreign policy ever since.

They are mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence.

Those principles, if adopted as the new charter of the UN, would solve virtually all of the conflicts in the world, but will require the US to cease it’s open flouting of the international rules applied to every one else!!