China just proved it can cripple the US military in days. Now Trump is furious

Here’s a sobering reality: China could bring America’s military to its knees — without firing a single shot. The weapon? Rare earth minerals. These hidden elements power everything from fighter jets and submarines to missiles and drones. If Beijing pulled the plug tomorrow, Western stockpiles would run dry within weeks — and rebuilding them wouldn’t be easy.

Now, with China tightening export controls and Trump hitting back with 100% tariffs, the global standoff is escalating fast. This week on Battle Lines, Samuel Olsen from Sibylline and Neha Mukherjee from Benchmark Minerals expose the fight beneath the surface — the battle for the world’s rare earths.

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

Credit: Getty/ US Navy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.