39 h. ago Trump pick for South America command sidesteps China questions at Senate hearing

Days after the operation that abducted then Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump’s nominee to command US forces in Latin America dodged pressure from senators to endorse a military-first plan to counter China’s growing influence in the region. Lieutenant General Francis Donovan, who is nominated to lead US Southern Command (Southcom), repeatedly declined to say whether Washington should rely mainly on force projection to push back against Beijing’s expanding footprint. The...

Politics

63 h. ago China, Venezuela, Minneapolis and the familiar small divisions of Northern Ireland

China, Venezuela, Minneapolis and the familiar small divisions of Northern Ireland   Slugger O'Toole

Politics

3 d. ago Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

“Rural heating problems in Hebei cannot wait any longer” declared a recent report in Farmers’ Daily. It described a disturbing reality in parts of northern China: elderly villagers who would rather shiver through freezing temperatures than turn on their heaters, because they simply cannot afford the cost. For many urban readers, this may sound implausible. For millions of rural elderly, it is routine. On the surface, the problem appears to be a side effect of China’s well-intentioned...

Politics

3 d. ago China’s Rare Earth ‘Monopoly’ — and Why Markets Will Break It

China’s Rare Earth ‘Monopoly’ — and Why Markets Will Break It  The Daily Economy

Politics

3 d. ago China's 2025 rare earth exports hit highest since at least 2014 despite restrictions

China's 2025 rare earth exports hit highest since at least 2014 despite restrictions  Reuters

Events

4 d. ago Harvard Study Says China's Rare Earth Restrictions Drive Innovation Abroad

Harvard Study Says China's Rare Earth Restrictions Drive Innovation Abroad  NDTV

Transport

4 d. ago What are the implications of China’s latest rare earth export restrictions on Japan?

What are the implications of China’s latest rare earth export restrictions on Japan?  Benchmark Source

Politics

4 d. ago Bessent, allies discuss diversifying rare earth supply chains away from China

Bessent, allies discuss diversifying rare earth supply chains away from China  Seeking Alpha

Politics

4 d. ago China’s position on maintaining stability, security of critical mineral supply chains unchanged: FM on G7 Finance Ministers' request to reduce China rare earth dependence

China’s position on maintaining stability, security of critical mineral supply chains unchanged: FM on G7 Finance Ministers' request to reduce China rare earth dependence  Global Times

Politics

5 d. ago North China farmers pay heavy price this winter for Beijing’s clean air success

In the daytime the temperature in northern China often stays below freezing, but for many rural villagers the prohibitive cost of heating means that they have little choice but to endure the cold. “We dare not turn on the heating during the day,” one woman from Guan county in Hebei named Wang said. The 75-year-old’s home is around 70km (43 miles) from the centre of Beijing, but running the heating all day would cost between 60 and 90 yuan (US$8-13), an expense that could soar over the course of...

Society

5 d. ago Japan firms seen ‘stockpiling’ rare earths as Tokyo looks to G7 in face of China controls

Fears of China choking off exports of critical minerals to Japan amid a deepening political dispute have set off industry alarms and prompted Tokyo to elevate the issue at a G7 gathering of finance ministers this week, despite Beijing’s assurances that civilian trade would be spared. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said last week that she would attend the Group of Seven event in Washington on Monday with the “risk of a rare-earth-supply interruption from China in mind”, the...

Politics

5 d. ago Japan launches world’s first deep sea trial to secure own rare earth supply

A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in rare earths, part of Tokyo’s drive to curb its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing tightens supply. The month-long mission of the test vessel Chikyu near Minamitori island some 1,900km (1,200 miles) southeast of Tokyo, will mark the world’s first attempt to continuously lift rare earth seabed sludge from 6km deep onto a ship. Japan, like its Western allies, has been reducing its dependence on...

Politics

5 d. ago Japan launches world’s first mission to lift rare earth from deep sea

Japan launches world’s first mission to lift rare earth from deep sea  South China Morning Post

Events

5 d. ago Beijing Doubles Down on Domestic Demand as Growth Strains Mount

Beijing Doubles Down on Domestic Demand as Growth Strains Mount  Rare Earth Exchanges

Politics

6 d. ago Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supplies By Reuters

Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supplies By Reuters  Investing.com

Politics

6 d. ago Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supplies

Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supplies  Mining.com

Politics

6 d. ago China wife shocked to learn that ‘People’s Armed Police officer’ husband is convicted murderer

A Chinese woman who thought she married and had a child with a People’s Armed Police (PAP) officer found out seven years later that he was in fact a convicted murderer. In 2014, a woman in northern China’s Hebei province, who uses the pseudonym Pang, married a PAP officer, Jia Bin, who had been introduced to her by her uncle. The couple soon had a son but Jia spent a dwindling amount of time at home, saying he was on “special missions”. He initially disappeared for days, then for months before...

Events

7 d. ago China’s Humanoid Robot Surge Isn’t About Robots?It’s About Rare Earths

China’s Humanoid Robot Surge Isn’t About Robots?It’s About Rare Earths  Rare Earth Exchanges

Politics

7 d. ago China Southern Plans First Northern Europe Link from Beijing Daxing

China Southern Plans First Northern Europe Link from Beijing Daxing  Travel And Tour World

Politics

8 d. ago Japan seeks support as fears rise over China’s rare earth grip

Japan seeks support as fears rise over China’s rare earth grip  The Japan Times

Politics