U.S.-China trade relations are more optimistic than people think, says AEI's Derek Scissors

US-China Trade Relations & Rare Earths - The US is trying to reduce its dependence on China for rare earths, while China is trying to jumpstart its economy [1] - The US exports rare earths to China, highlighting that the problem is refining, not reserves [3] - A short-term deal between the US and China could involve delaying Chinese controls on rare earth products and resuming US soybean exports to China, but this requires the US to concede something [7] - China may delay implementation of controls on rare earth products but will continue building up that mechanism and could expand to other supply chains like fine chemicals used in drugs [8] Supply Chain Vulnerabilities & Strategies - The US faces a serious long-term challenge across a broad range of supply chains [8] - Working with allies is crucial for the US to counter supply chain vulnerabilities quickly [9] - Australia can help the US on rare earths, and Japan has technology and experience dealing with Chinese embargoes [10] - The US long-term policy should focus on supply chains rather than trade balances and tariffs [11] China's Long-Term Strategy - China has a long-term strategy to build up its production capacity, especially in advanced technology, to exert coercive pressure on other countries [15][16] - China's goal is to become more important globally, allowing it to exert more pressure on the US and other countries [16]