Tech Diplomacy Now: Beijing’s Critical Mineral Restrictions
Beijing's far-reaching export restrictions on rare earth elements could disrupt the global economy.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tech Diplomacy Updates
Top News of the Week
Latest News
Technology Strategy and Policy
Artificial Intelligence
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Critical Minerals
Synthetic Biology
Quantum
Advanced Aerospace Technology
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
Energy and Climate
Opinion and Commentary
The Last Word
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Top News of the Week - China Throttles the Global Economy with Critical Mineral Restrictions
Just as the United States and China appeared to be closing in on a trade agreement, Beijing introduced a far-reaching set of export restrictions on rare earth elements that could disrupt the global economy.
Key Points:
On October 9th, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced export controls that would seek to restrict all trade on goods that contained as little as 0.1% of Chinese rare earth elements or were made with tools that contained Chinese technology.
The United States responded with its own announced tariffs and export controls.
As world leaders expressed alarm at the severity of Chinese export controls, Chinese Government leaders tried to blame the United States for sowing panic.
It appears that American and allied companies are ramping up their capabilities to replace Chinese supplied rare earth elements.
More on Background:
A Rare Earths Alternative to China? Australia Eyes Timely Pitch to Trump – NYTs, October 20, 2025
G7 scrambles to push back on Chinese rare-earth curbs – Politico, October 17, 2025
China’s rare-earths power move jolted Trump but was years in the making – Washington Post, October 14, 2025
China can only fire the big gun of refined metals restrictions once – Reuters, October 14, 2025
GM’s Rare-Earth Gamble Pays Off as China Tightens Magnet Exports – WSJ, October 12, 2025
China Widens Rare Earth Curbs Ahead of Key Xi-Trump Meeting – Bloomberg, October 9, 2025
China’s Commerce Ministry tightens rules on rare earths exports – Investing Live, October 9, 2025
China announces its own “foreign direct product rule” for REE-related exports from third countries – Trivium China, October 9, 2025
China unveils sweeping rare-earth export controls to protect ‘national security’ – FT, October 9, 2025
China Clamps Down Even Harder on Rare Earths – NYTs, October 9, 2025
China expands rare earth export restrictions ahead of possible Trump-Xi meeting – CNBC, October 9, 2025
Latest News
The biggest takeaways from the Trump-Xi meeting — what the truce covers and what is still unclear – CNBC, October 30, 2025
Chairman Moolenaar and Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi to Introduce Legislation to Protect American AI Leadership – Select Committee on the CCP, October 30, 2025
The United States Signs Technology Prosperity Deals with Japan and Korea – The White House, October 29, 2025
China’s next 5-year plan puts focus on tech and consumers as trade wars drag on economy – AP, October 24, 2025
Military Tech Companies, Long Snubbed in Europe, Are Having a Moment – WSJ, October 23, 2025
Female spies are waging ‘sex warfare’ to steal Silicon Valley secrets – The Times of London, October 22, 2025
Braving Trump, Apple’s Tim Cook promises to boost China investment – Reuters, October 15, 2025
TSMC moves up 2nm production plans in Arizona — CEO also hints at further site expansion beyond $165 billion commitment – Tom’s Hardware, October 15, 2025
Trump puts extra 100% tariff on China imports, adds export controls on ‘critical software’ – CNBC, October 10, 2025
China blacklists major chip research firm TechInsights following report on Huawei – CNBC, October 10, 2025
The World’s Chip Supply Chain Is Bracing for Fallout from China’s Rare-Earth Curbs – Bloomberg, October 10, 2025
A Mystery C.E.O. and Billions in Sales: Is China Buying Banned Nvidia Chips? – NYTs, October 9, 2025
Technology Strategy and Policy
China Wants Foreign Scientists. The Public Says No, Thanks. – NYTs, October 14, 2025
Our Investments for National Security: JPMorganChase plans a 10-year, $1.5 trillion initiative to shore up America’s resiliency. – WSJ, October 13, 2025
China’s capacity to hack the U.S. is growing, former NSA head says. Here’s what they’re targeting and why. – CBS News, October 12, 2025
China Blacklists Researcher That Exposed Huawei Chip Secrets – Bloomberg, October 9, 2025
Senate Passes AI Chip Export Limits on Nvidia, AMD to China – Bloomberg, October 9, 2025
Artificial Intelligence
Anthropic launches new version of scaled-down ‘Haiku’ model – TechCrunch, October 15, 2025
Apple to Build Tabletop Robot and Home Hub in Vietnam – Bloomberg, October 14, 2025
Singapore and Malaysia: Building Asia’s Neutral AI Corridor – Commonwealth Magazine, October 8, 2025
OpenAI bans suspected China-linked accounts for seeking surveillance proposals – Bloomberg, October 7, 2025
From Lubricants to Coolant: The Taiwanese Engineer Behind Castrol’s Pivot into AI Data Centers – Commonwealth Magazine, October 6, 2025
Young people in China are embracing AI therapy – Rest of the World, October 6, 2025
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Countering the Digital Silk Road – CNAS, October 15, 2025
F5 says hackers stole undisclosed BIG-IP flaws, source code – Bleeping Computer, October 15, 2025
Chinese Criminals Made More Than $1 Billion From Those Annoying Texts – WSJ, October 14, 2025
The Sovereignty Tax: What the TikTok Deal Means for the Digital Order – The Diplomat, October 11, 2025
US Weighs Action Against China-Linked Router Giant TP-Link – Bloomberg, October 9, 2025
Critical Minerals
China blames US for global panic over rare earths controls – Reuters, October 16, 2025
China’s rare-earth miners flying high as export rules tighten – Nikkei Asia, October 15, 2025
Taiwan sees no significant impact on chip sector from China rare earths curbs – Reuters, October 12, 2025
China’s new restrictions on rare earth exports send a stark warning to the West – Chatham House, October 10, 2025
Synthetic Biology
How America Can Win the Biotech Race: To Outcompete China, Washington Must Unleash the Private Sector – Foreign Affairs, October 16, 2025
America Is Heavily Reliant on China for Raw Materials in Medicines – NYTs, October 15, 2025
Concentrated origins, widespread risk: New USP insights on key starting materials – Quality Matters, October 14, 2025
US Biotech Future Is Now Made in China – Hoover Institution, October 9, 2025
Quantum
It’s Time for the Crypto Industry to Take the Threat of AI and Quantum Computing Seriously – Coindesk, October 19, 2025
‘Nightmare’ calculation may be too tricky for even quantum computers – New Scientist, October 17, 2025
Quantum Firm IonQ Raises $2 Billion From Susquehanna’s Heights – Bloomberg, October 10, 2025
Trio Including Google’s Quantum Computer Builder Win Nobel – Bloomberg, October 7, 2025
Advanced Aerospace Technology
Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales to Pool Space Resources into Standalone Company – October 24, 2025
DJI appeals US ruling upholding designation as Chinese military company – Nikkei Asia, October 15, 2025
Behind Russia’s battlefield drone surge in Ukraine? Chinese factories. – Washington Post, October 13, 2025
The US Needs Better Ways to Defend Against Drones – Bloomberg, October 6, 2025
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
NVIDIA CEO Says U.S. Sanctions Cut Advanced Chip Market Share in China from 95% to 0% - Chosun, October 17, 2025
Europe needs a better chip strategy – FT, October 15, 2025
In rare move, Dutch government takes control of China-owned chipmaker Nexperia – Reuters, October 13, 2025
Dutch government takes control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia – FT, October 13, 2025
China Opens Antitrust Probe of Qualcomm’s Autotalks Deal – Bloomberg, October 10, 2025
China launches customs crackdown on Nvidia AI chips – FT, October 10, 2025
A Mystery C.E.O. and Billions in Sales: Is China Buying Banned Nvidia Chips? – NYTs, October 9, 2025
Energy and Climate
It’s official – the major German and American brands (Porsche, Mercedes, Ford and Stellantis) are backtracking and extending the life of the internal combustion engine beyond 2035 – Union Rayo, October 18, 2025
How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution – FT, October 14, 2025
Germany’s chancellor backs scrapping the planned ICE ban in Europe – Wards Auto, October 10, 2025
Trump’s Hydrogen Cuts Put the US Further Behind China on Key Green Tech – Bloomberg, October 9, 2025
Nigeria in Talks with China for $2 Billion Loan for Super Grid – Bloomberg, October 6, 2025
Opinion and Commentary
America could win this trade war if it wanted to – Noah Smith, Noahpinion, October 18, 2025
A Grand Strategy of Reciprocity: How to Build an Economic and Security Order That Works for America – Oren Cass, Foreign Affairs, October 17, 2025
Allies United Against China on Rare Earths – WSJ, October 16, 2025
Indulging in absurd anti-U.S. rhetoric? You’re doing a solid for Moscow and Beijing – Raquel Garbers, The Hill Times, October 15, 2025
China’s rare-earth gambit will backfire – Miquel Vila, Unherd, October 13, 2025
Space is a critical battlefield, and the West is losing – Bert Chapman, IAI, October 10, 2025
The Last Word
“It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing – all of which are essential for our national security. Our security is predicated on the strength and resiliency of America’s economy. America needs more speed and investment. It also needs to remove obstacles that stand in the way: excessive regulations, bureaucratic delay, partisan gridlock and an education system not aligned to the skills we need.”
– Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorganChase
About: Tech Diplomacy Now
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue is the world’s preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader of the new category of Tech Diplomacy, the Institute integrates technology expertise, Silicon Valley strategies, and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network of governments, companies, organizations and individuals to accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technology and ensure technology advances freedom.