China Widens Rare Earth Curbs Ahead of Key Xi-Trump Meeting

China has unveiled broad new curbs on its exports of rare earths and other critical materials, as Beijing moves to shore up its trade war leverage ahead of a high-stakes meeting this month between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. China has used its control of the rare earth sector — it accounts for about 70 per cent of global supply — as leverage in negotiations. “This is to raise the stakes and demonstrate China has leverage and cards to play,” said Dylan Loh, associate professor at NTU. “It’s done to put them in the strongest possible position in trade negotiations with the US.”

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