I am certainly not asleep. I am keenly aware of just how much of the world’s mineral wealth they control. I, unfortunately, have to get a large percentage of my raw materials for manufacturing from Chinese sources. Try getting Molybdenum, Tungsten, and Neodymium from a non Chinese source. I dare you.
Between ChiFi and AlGore, American sources of those minerals were shut down during the Clinton Administration.
What about Molycorp in the Mojave desert?
The Chinese low balled prices for a number of years slowly taking out their American competitors and once they were out of business the Chinese started tightening supplies. I believe American companies are working their way back into the business again.