China considering options to undermine US defense industries

China is exploring limiting the export of rare earth minerals that are crucial for the manufacture of American F-35 fighter jets and other sophisticated weaponry, according to people involved in a government consultation, Report informs, citing the Financial Times.

Last month, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology proposed draft controls on the production and export of 17 rare earth minerals in China, which controls about 80 percent of the global supply.

"The government wants to know if the US may have trouble making F-35 fighter jets if China imposes an export ban," said a Chinese government adviser who asked not to be identified.

Fighter jets such as the F-35, a Lockheed Martin aircraft, rely heavily on rare earths for critical components such as electrical power systems and magnets. A Congressional Research Service report said that each F-35 required 417kg of rare-earth materials.

The Chinese government is ready to take such a step against the backdrop of aggravated relations with the United States.

Last week, during a phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Joe Biden listed the issues that displease the US administration. As the White House clarified, Biden highlighted his fundamental concerns about Beijing's coercive and unjust economic practices, the Hong Kong repression, human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), and increasingly aggressive actions in the region, including against Taiwan.

Later, Chinese state television broadcast a statement by Xi Jinping. The PRC leader called the issues regarding Taiwan, Hong Kong, and XUAR "China's internal affairs related to the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity."