2 w. ago If Trump has all the cards, why is the US in such a strategic quagmire?

Just four months ago, US President Donald Trump was lecturing a surprised Volodymyr Zelensky on how the Ukrainian leader was “not winning” because he did not “have the cards”. As commander-in-chief of a superpower, Trump unabashedly brandished his geopolitical capital – apparently more interested in negotiating agreements with traditional US rivals such as Russia and Iran to bolster his “art of the deal” credentials. Today, the strategic picture looks dramatically different. Following the...

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2 w. ago How Trump has landed the US in a strategic mess from Ukraine to Iran

Just four months ago, US President Donald Trump was lecturing a surprised Volodymyr Zelensky on how the Ukrainian leader was “not winning” because he did not “have the cards”. As commander-in-chief of a superpower, Trump unabashedly brandished his geopolitical capital – apparently more interested in negotiating agreements with traditional US rivals such as Russia and Iran to bolster his “art of the deal” credentials. Today, the strategic picture looks dramatically different. Following the...

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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...

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

My Take | China attains leverage in trade war on the back of its trump card, rare earths.  South China Morning Post

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3 w. ago Rare earth minerals are the biggest card China can play in its negotiations with Trump

Rare earth minerals are the biggest card China can play in its negotiations with Trump  Business Insider

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3 w. ago Middle East has oil. China has rare earths. Is this Beijing's trump card against Trump tariffs?

Middle East has oil. China has rare earths. Is this Beijing's trump card against Trump tariffs?  TRT Global

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3 w. ago ‘Making a dent’: race is on to reap rare earths elsewhere amid China’s dominance

Beijing’s imposition of rare earth export restrictions from April – playing its trump card in the face of Washington’s intensifying tariffs and tech curbs – helped send a message to Washington ahead of this week’s discussions over bilateral export-control issues. Considered a trump card because rare earths have an outsized impact on auto, electronics and defence industries, and China dominates the supply chain, the trade in such critical minerals is widely expected to be among the key topics...

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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...

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4 w. ago Xi ‘holds the cards’ after Trump ‘shot before he aimed’ with tariffs: National security expert

Xi ‘holds the cards’ after Trump ‘shot before he aimed’ with tariffs: National security expert  MSNBC News

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