Amid contrasting US approaches, Beijing faces a complex calculus. While President Trump seeks 'strategic stability' with China, Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Quad partners in New Delhi to launch initiatives on critical minerals and maritime surveillance, aiming to reduce global reliance on Beijing.
The Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project in South Africa received a US$50 million equity investment from the US International Development Finance Corporation, part of accelerated US efforts to secure critical minerals independent of China. The project extracts rare earth elements from industrial mining waste at a former chemical processing plant. The Trump administration plans to deploy nearly US$12 billion to create a US strategic reserve for critical minerals essential for electronics, EVs, robotics and defence systems.
