China hits back at Canada with fresh agriculture tariffs

[imadul]

IMO, I don't think this is a reaction to Pakistan. Due to the ongoing trade war, China's move was going to happen with or without the US deal with Pakistan. It should be viewed purely in the context of the great power rivalry between USA and China. China is increasing its leverage for any future trade negotiation and eventual settlement (which has to occur at some point, given the interdependent nature of the US and Chinese economies). From the Chinese perspective, this is a logical response to the increasing export controls by the US on advanced NM scale semiconductors which will form the backbone of the future datacenters in the new AI economy. Both China and the US are strengthening their bargaining positions.

Moreover, Pakistan is not even a drop in the ocean at this point in the rare earth game. We may have signed a $500M agreement with the US, but tbh that is not huge. It will take many years before mining can scale up to a point that can be deemed significant. Then comes the refinement process and actual magnet manufacturing which is a whole different ball game. Even if Pakistan has large rare earth reserves, a $500M investment is nowhere near enough to create the scale and scope to challenge Chinese dominance in this sector. China already has a monopoly in both mining and manufacturing, and is constantly investing billions every year - much more than a $500M one-off. They are under no threat of losing that crown for even the next 10-15 years. By then, I believe, US and China would have negotiated a trade settlement anyway. That's why I think, Chinese will not at all mind Pak's moves to bring other countries, including the US, to invest in its mining sector. If anything, it also creates an additional supply of raw materials for their refinement/processing industry which is growing at an exponential rate.

O Bhai, iron brother undermining other iron brother's strategic move.
Mind it, export controls on rare metals is China's strategic move. Hope you understand the difference, strategic and tactical.

So may be Chinese won't show much reaction outwardly, as they are not duffer and transaction oriented like GHQ, but reaction they would do at their own time.

 

[Beijingwalker]

Netizens on the Chinese social media show some disappointment but I think Pakistan has every right to do what suits their country's interests.

 

[Hendarto]

I agree this new round of China's export restrictions on REM and related tech may not have to do with Pakistan.

It is undermining China's ban on exports to the US, aka a stab in the back.

 

[Sainthood 2.0]

China might pull off it's support at a crucial time to teach us a lesson

I'm not sure if it is a big deal for them or no but since we already know that they're important partners for our long term defense needs

It might be wise for us to consult the Chinese on this one
This or start making your own jets

 

[Watandar]

It is undermining China's ban on exports to the US, aka a stab in the back.

Man it's been explained to you in multiple threads that any rare earth materials export from Pakistan is many years away. By then your trade fight with the US will be resolved. China has near monopoly on rare earths now and for next 20 years.

 

[tower9]

President Trump responded in a lengthy post on Truth Social late Thursday, calling China’s move “very hostile” and accusing Beijing of attempting to “hold the world captive.”

“Some very strange things are happening in China,” Trump wrote. “They want to impose export controls on each and every element of production having to do with rare earths… There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the world captive.”

Dummy Trump doesn't get it. Xi isn't his friend. Xi hates his guts. China sees the US as weak and vulnerable and it is China's chance to overturn the balance of power. Why should China keep supplying rare earths to a military industrial complex that is ACTIVELY aiding a rebel state of China? Or building bases around China? Does Trump think China is an idiot?

Pakistan's leadership is also showing they cannot be trusted. Expect Sino-Pakistan relationship to downgrade.

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

President Trump is going for a grand bargain with China anyway. I won't be surprised if Pakistan's neutrality is a part of the deal. China has got everything to gain from a stable and prosperous Pakistan at peace with the USA.....

Already the clearing ops have started in Afganistan, for the connectivity to the CA is a central interest for the USA. And, it passes through Pakistan. It implies the USA will also indirectly become a part of the BRI because of the Pak association....

 

[lightning f57]

Man it's been explained to you in multiple threads that any rare earth materials export from Pakistan is many years away. By then your trade fight with the US will be resolved. China has near monopoly on rare earths now and for next 20 years.

Add to the fact its a MOU. Also Pak needs hard cash regardless doing trade is no stab in the back.

 

[Yasser76]

Wishful thinking by BS Indian website

 

[MH.Yang]

From the perspective of the industrial sector, Pakistan's rare earths have not actually threatened China's monopoly on rare earths. Pakistan's rares are light rare earths, which are not rare, and China only controls light rare earths through technology and patents.

What really makes China vigilant is the heavy rares in the northwest of Myanmar. And 95 % heavy rare earths are distributed in China, and only the remaining 5% of the heavy rare earths in Australia and Myanmar.

Before China has a clear understanding of the distribution of heavy rare earths in the northwest of Myanmar, China will not relax its control over rare earth technology.

 

[Pogic]

Its not even the minerals themselves that gives China the control of rare earths, plenty of countries have rare earth deposits. Its China's ability to process and refine them. No other country in the world can do that, so Pakistan selling the U.S minerals isn't even that big of a deal in terms of China's ace card. By the way there is no way Pakistan has even started sending minerals to the U.S when it was only 3 weeks ago the agreement was signed or whatever. A 3 week turnaround to open a mine, begin production and export is impossible. Fictious article written to drive a wedge between China and Pakistan.

 

[Yasser76]

BS Indian propoaganda site run out of Canada, notice in the report they do not even use name of people just things like "A financial analyst" or "Poltical expert"

 

[MH.Yang]

By the way. Recently, it has been circulating on Chinese social platforms that the Indian government exchanged the intelligence they have on the Myanmar Kachin Army smuggling rare earth to the US for China to lift the ban on rare earth, fertilizers, and tunnel boring machines to India.

Myanmar's heavy rare earth is distributed Kachin State. Although it is operated by Chinese companies, the local area is controlled by the Kachin Independence Army. The Indian government and the Kachin Independence Army a lot of connections, and it has a lot of understanding of the Kachin Independence Army and the US government, so the intelligence that the Kachin Independence Army is sm rare earth is probably true. However, Kachin State is Myanmar's territory, and China can only control the local smuggling of heavy rare earth through technical management.

Also Chinese social platforms are also circulating the news that the Northern Myanmar Alliance Army is about to launch a war against the Kachin Independence Army.

 

[Mero]

Get metal exporting nations to increase direct shipments of their ore to China for refining for 10% premium. Particularly, platinum, gold, copper, silver and the industrial metals.

With Trump ready to strike Venezuela over lies, you can't trust Trump to seek the best interests of a free China.

 

[Beijingwalker]

'China isn't afraid': Beijingers shrug off Trump tariff threat​

Saturday, 11 Oct 2025

BEIJING (AFP): Residents of China's capital city expressed indifference and defiance Saturday when asked by AFP about the latest threat by US President Donald Trump to impose blistering new tariffs on the country.

On Friday, Trump announced suddenly that the United States would slap additional 100 percent tariffs on all Chinese imports from November 1 "or sooner", also calling into question an upcoming meeting with President Xi Jinping.

Chinese authorities have yet to publicly respond on the threat, which Trump said was in retaliation for Beijing's new export control measures in the strategic rare-earth sector.

The ministries of foreign affairs and commerce did not comment when asked about it by AFP on Saturday.

"I felt nothing when I first saw the news," said Liu Ming, a 48-year-old employee in a software company, outside a large Beijing shopping mall.

"Trump always has these childlike or capricious policies," said Liu.

"China isn't afraid of any US sanctions or policies aimed at limiting us. We have the confidence and ability to do better ourselves."

- 'Great commotion' -

Like others interviewed by AFP on the streets of Beijing on Saturday, Liu sees Trump as fickle.

"From the perspective of a Chinese person, he is a bit unreliable," he said.

"He always goes from this policy to that policy, causing great commotion in the world.

"It is not stable."

Irene Wang, an insurance worker in her thirties, echoed the sentiment.

"He says one thing today, but maybe after a nap he'll change his mind again," joked Wang.

"At his age (79), he should be a little more composed!"

She believes the sky-high tariffs Trump is threatening could backfire.

"For Americans, it could have an impact," she said, as tariffs on Chinese products could drive up prices in the United States.

As for the potential impact on people living in China, Wang acknowledged she couldn't completely ignore the news.

"Honestly, it isn't the first time, so we will have to wait and see how things play out."

- Hoping for 'normal' -

Some residents of the Chinese capital told AFP they expected only a moderate impact on their country's economy if the trade war with Washington escalates again.

"The import-export sector, especially those businesses, will inevitably be affected to some extent," said Jesicca Yu, 40.

But "for ordinary people in China, in the immediate future, I don't think much will change in their daily lives," she said.

Yu also bemoaned the tense relationship between Beijing and Washington.

"The more peaceful things are, the more economic development can take place," she said.

"We hope things go back to normal."

Lisa Liu, a colleague of Yu who is in her thirties, said she saw one good thing in Trump's unpredictable approach to governing.

"He gives us a lot to talk about at the dinner table," she said. - AFP

'China isn't afraid': Beijingers shrug off Trump tariff threat

Residents of China's capital city expressed indifference and defiance Saturday when asked by AFP about the latest threat by US President Donald Trump to impose blistering new tariffs on the country.

www.thestar.com.my