Trump ally Steve Daines urges continued US-China engagement on rare earths
Quick Look
US Senator Steve Daines, a close ally of President Trump, urged the US and China to maintain dialogue on rare earths and critical minerals despite differences, stating that retreat is not the answer and engagement must continue following Xi Jinping's recent state visit to Washington.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The discussion follows Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent state visit to Washington, where differences over critical minerals and rare earth supply chains were noted by both sides.
Exclusive‘No retreat’: Key Trump ally urges continued US-China engagement on rare earths
Both sides need to keep working on their differences over critical minerals and other issues, Steve Daines tells the SCMP
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Nayan Sethin Washington
Published: 6:00am, 3 Oct 2026
US Republican Senator Steve Daines, a close aide to President Donald Trump and a key interlocutor between Washington and Beijing, has called on the two capitals to stay engaged and “not retreat” over differences on issues including rare earth supply chains.
Daines told the South China Morning Post that both sides still had issues that predated Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington last week and that they would continue working on them after the summit.
“So that’s again why it’s really important to keep the dialogue going on between two countries because both sides admit we’ve got some serious differences. But the answer is not to retreat. The answer is to stay engaged,” he said.
The outgoing senator from Montana was responding to remarks by US ambassador to China David Perdue, who accused Beijing of “weaponising” its “single-source dominant position” on critical minerals against the rest of the world.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
US-China dialogue on rare earths and critical minerals will continue following the Xi Jinping state visit.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific actions will the US and China take to address rare earth supply chain concerns?
- How will the incoming administration handle US-China relations on critical minerals?
- What concessions, if any, are each side willing to make on rare earths?
