13 h. ago EU presses China over exports of rare earth elements and Ukraine war

EU presses China over exports of rare earth elements and Ukraine war  Al Jazeera

Events

6 d. ago China has begun issuing rare earth export licences to European firms: EU sources

China has started issuing export licences for rare earth elements and magnets to European companies, EU sources confirmed, although the bloc continues to push for a structural solution to a situation that has jumped to the top of the bilateral agenda. European governments and companies have for weeks been lobbying Chinese authorities to ease export restrictions, which were introduced in response to US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” in April. Earlier on Thursday, China’s commerce...

Politics

6 d. ago Chinese FM: Beijing has never supplied weapons to either side in Ukraine war

Chinese FM: Beijing has never supplied weapons to either side in Ukraine war  Ukrinform

Events

6 d. ago China never supplied weapons to parties in the Ukraine war, foreign ministry says

China never supplied weapons to parties in the Ukraine war, foreign ministry says  Reuters

Events

7 d. ago Rare earths ‘THE thing’ for EU agenda planners ahead of China leaders’ summit

China’s chokehold on the global supply of rare earth elements – and its recent willingness to weaponise it – will have top billing when European Union leaders thrash out an agenda over dinner on Thursday for a crunch summit with Chinese leaders in Beijing next month. The export restrictions, which have brought some manufacturing processes in Europe close to standstill, have leapfrogged the EU’s medley of other complaints with China to become the dominant issue in a troubled relationship. The...

Politics

7 d. ago China to Relax Urea Export Ban, Easing Global Price Pressure

China to Relax Urea Export Ban, Easing Global Price Pressure  Bloomberg

Events

8 d. ago Zelensky tells Nato Chinese firms among Russia’s suppliers aiding war on Ukraine

Chinese defence companies are part of the network helping Russia sustain its war against Ukraine – a war “crucial” to European security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the Nato summit on Tuesday. While Russia poses a long-term threat to Europe, it is not just Russia alone, Zelensky told the summit’s defence industry forum, held in The Hague. Zelensky said that the continent was facing a “network of state and non-state actors” that are “assuring the course of aggression”. “This...

Events

1 week ago UN needs overhaul to take on today’s global challenges: Ban Ki

A former UN secretary general has called for an overhaul of the United Nations to better confront global challenges as “some powerful nations” seek to undermine the institution. Ban Ki-moon, who was secretary general of the United Nations from 2007 to 2016, said in Hong Kong on Tuesday that the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza showed the need for a multilateral response. “The illegal Russian war against Ukraine and the horrific war in Gaza represent one of the most dangerous moments for global...

Politics

1 week ago ‘We’re not billiard balls’: how China’s EU charm offensive fell flat

For half a year, a heated debate has raged over whether US President Donald Trump’s return to office would push Europe and China closer together. Pragmatists, realpolitikers and Beijing’s allies argued that the EU could not afford a trade war with both of the world’s largest economies while footing the bill for a hot war in Ukraine. For months, EU leaders fuelled the speculation by voicing openness to deeper trade ties with Beijing, in a dramatic rhetorical shift from the previous three years of...

Politics

1 week ago China’s influence is growing in Central Asia. What does that mean for Russia?

At a high-level summit this week, China and its Central Asian partners voiced their shared security concerns and showed a united front amid a turbulent global landscape. The close ties between Beijing and the five Central Asian countries – whose leaders met at the China-Central Asia Summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday – have sparked questions about whether Russia’s regional dominance is waning as it remains preoccupied with the Ukraine war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed this possibility...

Politics

2 w. ago G7 summit wraps with statements on AI, critical minerals, but not Ukraine

The Group of 7 nations wrapped up their summit in Canada on Tuesday with six joint statements on subjects spanning AI, quantum computing and critical minerals but reportedly dropped plans to issue a seventh “strongly worded” statement on the Ukraine war after objections from the United States. “Basically, no statement because the Americans wanted to water it down,” an unnamed Canadian official told reporters on condition of anonymity, according to AFP. News services on Tuesday reported the...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘A new China shock’: von der Leyen revives hard line on Beijing at G7 summit

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has accused Beijing of deliberately creating a near-monopoly in the global supply of rare earth elements, then weaponising the world’s reliance on those chains. Addressing the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday, von der Leyen made a hawkish return to form, reversing a course of toned-down criticism of China spurred by the return of US President Donald Trump in January. In two separate speeches in the first two months of the year, she...

Politics

2 w. ago China attains leverage in trade war on the back of its trump card, rare earths.

The United States remains a dominant power in finance, while China has a pre-eminent position in the global industrial supply chain. That distinction between the world’s two largest economies was highlighted in the latest trade talks between Beijing and Washington, when China leveraged its trump card – rare earth elements. China dominates the global supply of rare earths, including 70 per cent of mining and around 90 per cent of refining these minerals. Rare earths are vital components in a vast...

Politics

3 w. ago Ahead of US trade talks, China’s rare earth trade data from May sends a message

In a reflection of Beijing’s ability to quickly leverage its dominance over the critical-mineral supply chain, the value of rare earth elements exported by China last month plunged by nearly half compared with a year prior. The official data came as analysts have been saying that China’s export controls over large quantities of critical minerals are like the ultimate trump card in trade negotiations with the United States. The world’s second-largest economy exported rare earth elements worth...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump reluctant to confront China over support for Russia's war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reports

Trump reluctant to confront China over support for Russia's war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reports  The Kyiv Independent

Politics

3 w. ago Philippines aims to counter China’s drone swarm capacity, learn from Ukraine war

The Philippine military is ramping up efforts to enhance its drone offensive capabilities and countermeasures amid growing concerns over China potentially using waves of such unmanned aircraft to assert its claims in contested waters. As part of this push, Philippine and US forces recently tested high-powered microwave weapons during the Balikatan 2025 exercises, designed to neutralise so-called drone swarms. The Philippine military has also begun using Israeli-made intelligence, surveillance...

Events

4 w. ago China helps Russia pull ahead in lethal drone war race with Ukraine

China helps Russia pull ahead in lethal drone war race with Ukraine  politico.eu

Events

4 w. ago EU industry could grind to a halt over China’s rare earth restrictions

Chinese government restrictions on the export of rare earth elements have forced some European companies to halt production using the highly sought-after minerals essential for making smartphones and electric vehicles. The measures announced by Beijing on April 4 were seen as retaliation against US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs”, but European industry now warns it is being caught in the crossfire. The EU Chamber of Commerce in China has held several meetings with China’s Ministry...

Politics

4 w. ago ‘Getting seriously worse’: EU firms sound alarm over China’s rare earth curbs

Chinese government restrictions on the export of rare earth elements have forced some European companies to halt production using the highly sought-after minerals essential for making smartphones and electric vehicles. The measures announced by Beijing on April 4 were seen as retaliation against US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs”, but European industry now warns it is being caught in the crossfire. The EU Chamber of Commerce in China has held several meetings with China’s Ministry...

Events

4 w. ago How is China ramping up controls on critical mineral exports amid row with US?

Parts of China that are rich in critical minerals are stepping up enforcement of tighter export controls as the country doubles down on its dominance of world supplies in the face of increasing pressure from the United States. China, the world’s biggest producer of critical minerals, supplies 92 per cent of the refined rare earth elements that are essential in the production of consumer electronics, electric vehicles and hi-tech defence systems. Its export controls mean companies must obtain...

Politics