Rare earths force Trump to be less hostile before Xi summit

US President Donald Trump is adopting a less hostile stance towards China ahead of his upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to experts. This shift in approach can be attributed to China's dominant control over rare earth minerals, which are essential for various industries such as technology and automotive manufacturing.

Last year, China curtailed rare earth exports in retaliation for Trump's tariffs, causing global market instability. This incident has given China significant leverage, making it difficult for the US to employ coercive measures against Beijing. Consequently, the Trump administration has opted for a more measured approach, avoiding drastic actions like imposing steep tariffs or banning technology exports.

Experts suggest that the US is now more cautious to prevent triggering retaliatory actions from China, aiming for stability and secure access to critical minerals instead.

Brief written by urgent.news from Gulf Times Business's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.