Group 1 - Indonesia's Economic Coordinating Minister Erlangga announced a strategic proposal to the U.S. for joint investment in a rare earth mineral project, coinciding with the impending 32% punitive tariffs set by the Trump administration [1][14] - The project aims to establish the largest electric vehicle battery supply chain in ASEAN, highlighting Indonesia's ambition in the electric vehicle sector [2] - Indonesia possesses significant rare earth reserves of 12 million tons, which is a crucial factor in its negotiations with the U.S. and its plans for a rare earth export ban by December 2024 to enhance its bargaining power [16][20] Group 2 - The U.S. faces a critical dependency on China for rare earth elements, with the Pentagon acknowledging that its stockpiles could only last 60 days in the event of a complete Chinese export ban [29] - Despite the U.S. having substantial rare earth resources, its refining technology lags significantly behind China's, which holds 92.3% of the global rare earth separation capacity [7][22] - Indonesia's pivot towards the U.S. is seen as a response to the trade pressures from China, reflecting a broader trend of smaller nations navigating between major powers [11][12] Group 3 - The geopolitical landscape is complicated by the fact that many countries, including Japan and members of the EU, are struggling with rare earth shortages, indicating a widespread crisis in securing these critical materials [24][26] - The historical context reveals a shift in U.S. policy, where initial claims of independence from Chinese supply chains have been contradicted by urgent requests for high-purity rare earth supplies from China [28] - Indonesia's strategy may ultimately face challenges due to the entrenched dominance of China in the rare earth supply chain, making it difficult for any new partnerships to significantly alter the existing dynamics [20][28]
刚接受中国帮助的友国，令人没想到，转头就要帮美国解决稀土问题
Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-07-02 08:52