US faces new pressure to build weapons without China's rare earth magnets

A group of young scientists and entrepreneurs started a backyard lab in Boston in 2018 to find a cleaner metal-refining method

A recent US executive order requires major arms manufacturers to trace their multi-tier supply chains and actively phase out Chinese rare earths, aiming to end years of reliance on cheap minerals from China. Far from a radical policy shift, industry observers view the directive as a long-overdue enforcement crackdown d

The US development finance agency has put up to US$4.48 million into Harena's Ampasindava project, a small cheque with a deliberate strategic message behind it.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he held a call Thursday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to lay the groundwork for President Xi Jinping's U.S. visit in September.

China expressed “serious concern” over recent US measures taken against Beijing.

US-China tensionsBeijing cites 'serious concerns' about American trade curbs following robot banChinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, left, spoke with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on July 30. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters)KENTARO SHIOZAKI, YUKIO TAJIMA and RYOHEI YASOSHIMAJuly 31, 2026 05:43 JSTBEIJING/WA