Will China-US dispute extend to rare earths?

Editor's Note: With China-US tensions continuing to rise, many speculate that China may leverage rare earths to countermand the United States' moves. Will the China-US rare earth supply chain be disrupted, if not broken? Two experts share their views with China Daily's Pan Yixuan on the issue. Excerpts follow:

Export for rare earths needs stricter regulations

Having identified China as a major strategic rival, the US has not only intensified its attacks against China, but also tried to stigmatize it by calling the novel coronavirus the "Chinese virus". Given the US' provocative moves and the severe security environment in the international community, China needs an export control mechanism for "strategic resources" including rare earths, which it can use as a countermeasure against the US.