All it’d take to remove China’s chokehold is to build our own mines.
That said, for the short term, we are beholdened for those raw materials.
But if there is a spat, a few commando raids against Chinese mines will ensure that THEY don’t have any rare earth elements either... Thus equalizing the playing field.
And the lesson they’ll take away from that is not to put all their eggs in one basket (ie - have all their mines in one country). Which would lead to other nations building their own mines. Thus causing China to break their own monopoly for national security reasons.
All it’d take to remove China’s chokehold is to build our own mines.
That sounds like an invitation to start following the money trails running between the ChiComs and environmental obstructionist groups.