China explores rare earth export curbs to target US defense industry

China is looking into curbing the exports of rare earth minerals that are crucial to US defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin Corp for the manufacture of sophisticated weaponry and F-35 fighter jets, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

“The government wants to know if the US may have trouble making F-35 fighter jets if China imposes an export ban,” the FT report said, quoting a Chinese government adviser.

Read more:

Biden presses China’s Xi on human rights issues in Hong Kong, Xinjiang

China overtakes US as European Union’s biggest trading partner