This article is summarizing events well known, with additional thoughts from officials behind the diplomatic machinations between China and the US. After China showed much more leverage than expected from the trade war on Liberation day, the US has shifted to a more conciliatory stance. Despite this, there are several factions who are vying for a harsher response.
This infighting is detailed in the article with examples such as sanctions being published then withdrawn. This confusion extends to European allies as well with leaders unable to comprehend the Trump administration’s current strategy.
It also notes that rare earths are not China’s only leverage, and that this is simply one avenue they have chosen. Other choke points are available for China to exploit, such as pharmaceutical ingredients.
Every side wants to wait until they have more leverage imo. The US is positioning more hard power in the Philippines for example, and some of the negotiators probably believed they could knock out negotiations with other countries before facing china last
Meanwhile china was waiting for the supreme court to throw a wrench (which they did) and is now waiting for trump to lose Congress
Rare earths simply don’t play as big of a role as people think because it took Japan 15 years to go from 90% to 60% dependency. The timelines are simply too long
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This article is summarizing events well known, with additional thoughts from officials behind the diplomatic machinations between China and the US. After China showed much more leverage than expected from the trade war on Liberation day, the US has shifted to a more conciliatory stance. Despite this, there are several factions who are vying for a harsher response.
This infighting is detailed in the article with examples such as sanctions being published then withdrawn. This confusion extends to European allies as well with leaders unable to comprehend the Trump administration’s current strategy.
It also notes that rare earths are not China’s only leverage, and that this is simply one avenue they have chosen. Other choke points are available for China to exploit, such as pharmaceutical ingredients.
Archive link: [https://archive.ph/EcWpp](https://archive.ph/EcWpp)
!ping CHINA
Every side wants to wait until they have more leverage imo. The US is positioning more hard power in the Philippines for example, and some of the negotiators probably believed they could knock out negotiations with other countries before facing china last
Meanwhile china was waiting for the supreme court to throw a wrench (which they did) and is now waiting for trump to lose Congress
Rare earths simply don’t play as big of a role as people think because it took Japan 15 years to go from 90% to 60% dependency. The timelines are simply too long