The Defense Department has a separate review under way on whether the United States should develop its own sources of supply for rare earths, which are also used in equipment including rangefinders on the Army’s tanks, sonar systems aboard Navy vessels and the control vanes on the Air Force’s smart bombs.
While Arab states used restrictions on oil exports as a political weapon in 1956, 1967 and 1973, China has refrained until now from using its near monopoly on rare earth elements as a form of leverage on other governments.
Think Tank/military strategists the world over are watching this event very closely, wondering if this signals a new, more strident foreign policy emanating from Peking. China has responded to events in a wholly disproportionate manner flexing its only recently acquired status as emerging super power in a worrisome, alarming new way.
America should watch, study and take heed.
Better to know now how China will behave. There are rare earth elements all over the world. Its just that China can mine them more cheaply, so producers elsewhere have given up production. This is also true in the United States.
Chinese Commies are all about POWER, as are all Commies.
Corporate America are fools for giving Chine the knife that they will use to slit their throats, all for short term profit!
Back in the 1930s, when Japan invaded China and marched on into southeast Asia, the United States ceased all petroleum sales to Japan as a way to punish Japan for its actions.
This did not go over well with the Japanese at all, and directly contributed to their decision to attack Pearl Harbor.
China is essentially doing the same seventy years later, withholding a natural resource Japan needs for its manufacturing industry.
Japan has little in the way of natural resources and must import nearly everything they use in manufacturing processes.
This action on the part of China could end up resulting in an Asian war — with Korea right inbetween the two.
Think anyone will be worrying about our debt?
Sure, sure — block Rare Earth all you want. But Deep Purple? I don’t think so!
you all don’t get it. this is a war.
remember what led up to the bombing of pearl harbor? is was americans unwilling to allow japanese access to raw materials...energy to be specific.
China is making a power play. actually this is not their first. one after another. they are threatening to sell american debt. they are buying up japanese debt to run up their currency. now they are blocking japanese imports.
This is not a benign series of events. this is war. they know obama and japan and know they can get away with it. they are thinking once they have all these things in place...a republican congress or presidency will not have the balls to reverse it. and they are probably correct.
To do so would require not less than 4 civil(ish) wars.
1. christian vs muslim in europe
2. mexican vs american in north america
3. capitalist vs communist in europe
4. liberal vs conservative in america
5. pro america vs anti america in europe
6. america vs europe
No Neodymium for Nippon!
No Neodymium for Nippon!
I guess Japan will have to stop making hybrid cars and wind turbines.
Dang.
Well...that ought to wilt their rice noodles.
The world’s largest deposit of rare earths is in the US... closed by Clinton... now nature study area or some such.
China seeks to control international trade. There is no free trade with them.