'China using rare earth dominance for geopolitical gains'

New Delhi: China's rare earth weapon has emerged as one of the most sophisticated instruments of modern economic statecraft as it exploits Western dependencies on materials essential for defence systems, renewable energy technologies, and advanced manufacturing processes, according to an article.

"The strategic implications extend far beyond mining and metallurgy. These materials represent a fundamental shift in how nations project power, where geological advantages translate directly into geopolitical leverage. Unlike conventional resources that fuel economies, rare earths enable the precision guidance systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and advanced manufacturing processes that define 21st-century military doctrine," the article in Discovery Alert stated.

It highlights that the 17 rare earth elements occupy a unique position in modern defence systems as their magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties cannot be replicated through substitution or synthetic alternatives. This creates absolute dependencies across critical defence platforms.

Neodymium and dysprosium form the core of high-performance permanent magnets essential for precision-guided munitions, while europium and terbium enable night vision systems and targeting displays. Yttrium compounds facilitate laser rangefinders and communication systems, creating a web of dependencies that spans every aspect of modern warfare capability, the article noted.

Military specifications require materials to perform within extremely narrow tolerances across temperature ranges, shock loads, and electromagnetic interference levels. For instance, a fighter aircraft's navigation system demands magnetic stability across temperature swings from Arctic conditions to afterburner heat, while submarine sonar arrays require consistent performance under crushing ocean pressures, it observed.

It also points out that China's rare earth reserves dominance emerged through decades of coordinated industrial policy rather than natural resource abundance. The strategy began with accepting the environmental costs that Western nations increasingly rejected, positioning Chinese facilities as the low-cost processing option for globally mined materials.

State subsidies enabled Chinese companies to operate separation facilities at a loss for years, systematically undercutting international competitors until alternative capacity disappeared.

The article also highlights how China's rare earth weapon operates through multiple control layers that create redundant pressure points across the supply chain. The current system employs variable friction that maintains market access while introducing chronic uncertainty.

"The licensing system creates what industry analysts term 'death by paperwork', where applications face indefinite delays rather than outright rejections. This approach maintains plausible commercial relationships while introducing enough uncertainty to discourage long-term supply commitments and investment in competing facilities," the article pointed out.

Information asymmetry amplifies these effects. Export license applications require detailed end-use declarations that provide Chinese authorities with comprehensive intelligence on Western defence programmes, manufacturing capacities, and strategic priorities. Each application becomes both a potential chokepoint and an intelligence collection opportunity, the article added.