US Media: Middle East War Makes the U.S. More Reliant on Chinese Rare Earths
Amid US-China tensions, the war in the Middle East has depleted U.S. missile stockpiles, deepening its dependence on Chinese rare earths for rebuilding its arsenal. This could give China a significant advantage in diplomatic and trade negotiations.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 13:37
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 14:02 (24 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 14, 2026 at 16:38 (2h 36m after Collected)
Central News Agency, Taipei, 14th — According to sources familiar with the matter, the Trump administration's war against Iran has severely depleted U.S. missile and ammunition reserves. As a result, the U.S. military, already facing severe supply chain bottlenecks, has become more deeply dependent on the rare earth mineral supply dominated by China in its efforts to rebuild its arsenal.
The New York Times reported on the 13th, citing these sources, that this gives China tremendous leverage in bilateral diplomatic and trade negotiations, and the U.S. may have to compromise on tariffs or semiconductor restrictions.
Christopher Padilla, a senior advisor at the global consulting firm Brunswick, said, 'For every missile fired at Iran, the U.S. becomes a little more dependent on China and its rare earth minerals in the short term.'
Padilla believes that the massive consumption of missiles and ammunition by the U.S. in the Iran conflict will further strengthen China's bargaining position. For at least the next few years, the U.S. effort to rebuild its weapons arsenal means it will need to source rare earth minerals from China.
The NYT report stated that in the short term, this resource constraint not only weakens the U.S.'s ability to intervene in conflicts in other regions but also reshapes the complex and competitive power balance between the U.S. and China.
According to estimates from the U.S. Department of War and Congress, since the outbreak of the US-Iran war, the U.S. has used about half of its long-range stealth cruise missiles, and the consumption of Tomahawk cruise missiles has reached about 10 times the current annual procurement rate.
U.S. President Trump arrived in Beijing last night with a delegation for a three-day state visit to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony for Trump at the Great Hall of the People this morning, followed by talks.
According to the mainland media outlet Guancha.cn, U.S. officials responsible for preparing Trump's visit to China had earlier told the media that Trump is expected to discuss with the Chinese side whether to extend a key mineral agreement between the U.S. and China.
Meng Weizhan, an associate professor at the Fudan University Institute for Advanced Study of Social Sciences, told Guancha.cn that if the news is true, the reason may be that the U.S. military-industrial complex cannot do without Chinese rare earths, and extending the agreement could ensure the continuity of production and R&D in the defense industry for 6 to 12 months. In return, the U.S. would have to make commitments on issues such as tariffs and chips for China to make appropriate concessions.
Additionally, Jia Min, a special researcher at the Shanghai Development Research Foundation, pointed out, 'On this issue, the initiative is with the Chinese side.' If the U.S. wants China to continue extending the agreement, it needs to make substantial concessions to China in other areas that satisfy the Chinese side. (Editing: Chou Hui-ying / Lu Chia-jung) 1150514
The New York Times reported on the 13th, citing these sources, that this gives China tremendous leverage in bilateral diplomatic and trade negotiations, and the U.S. may have to compromise on tariffs or semiconductor restrictions.
Christopher Padilla, a senior advisor at the global consulting firm Brunswick, said, 'For every missile fired at Iran, the U.S. becomes a little more dependent on China and its rare earth minerals in the short term.'
Padilla believes that the massive consumption of missiles and ammunition by the U.S. in the Iran conflict will further strengthen China's bargaining position. For at least the next few years, the U.S. effort to rebuild its weapons arsenal means it will need to source rare earth minerals from China.
The NYT report stated that in the short term, this resource constraint not only weakens the U.S.'s ability to intervene in conflicts in other regions but also reshapes the complex and competitive power balance between the U.S. and China.
According to estimates from the U.S. Department of War and Congress, since the outbreak of the US-Iran war, the U.S. has used about half of its long-range stealth cruise missiles, and the consumption of Tomahawk cruise missiles has reached about 10 times the current annual procurement rate.
U.S. President Trump arrived in Beijing last night with a delegation for a three-day state visit to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony for Trump at the Great Hall of the People this morning, followed by talks.
According to the mainland media outlet Guancha.cn, U.S. officials responsible for preparing Trump's visit to China had earlier told the media that Trump is expected to discuss with the Chinese side whether to extend a key mineral agreement between the U.S. and China.
Meng Weizhan, an associate professor at the Fudan University Institute for Advanced Study of Social Sciences, told Guancha.cn that if the news is true, the reason may be that the U.S. military-industrial complex cannot do without Chinese rare earths, and extending the agreement could ensure the continuity of production and R&D in the defense industry for 6 to 12 months. In return, the U.S. would have to make commitments on issues such as tariffs and chips for China to make appropriate concessions.
Additionally, Jia Min, a special researcher at the Shanghai Development Research Foundation, pointed out, 'On this issue, the initiative is with the Chinese side.' If the U.S. wants China to continue extending the agreement, it needs to make substantial concessions to China in other areas that satisfy the Chinese side. (Editing: Chou Hui-ying / Lu Chia-jung) 1150514