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Minerals over ideology? US embraces pragmatic diplomacy to break China’s rare earths grip

The Trump administration’s strategic interest in rare earths is pushing the US towards more pragmatic diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild critical mineral supply chains…

By Samantha Johnson / April 30, 2026
The Trump administration’s strategic interest in rare earths is pushing the US towards more pragmatic diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild critical mineral supply chains without China, according to observers.

As a result, there had been cooperation with other countries on resource projects even when broader political ties were strained, they said, adding that Beijing’s dominance in the resources appeared too strong to break soon.

One example is the Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project in South Africa, which recently received US$50 million in equity funding from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the American federal government’s development bank.

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China rebukes US for causing ‘unnecessary panic’ with remarks on rare earth controls

China rebukes US for causing ‘unnecessary panic’ with remarks on rare earth controls

Rainbow Rare Earths, a London-listed mining company helping to develop the deal, said the Phalaborwa project was designed to extract rare earths from mining waste and expected to deliver some highly sought-after minerals.

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