In recent years, the United States has actively urged its allies to reduce reliance on China for rare earth elements, driven by multiple strategic considerations. Currently, China controls over 60% of global rare earth mining and nearly 90% of processing capacity, making the U.S. and its allies highly dependent on China for these critical materials. Rare earth elements are essential in high-tech industries—such as smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense systems (including missile guidance and radar)—and any disruption in supply could severely impact national security and economic stability.Moreover, amid intensifying U.S.-China strategic competition, Washington fears that Beijing might use rare earths as a geopolitical lever during crises—by restricting exports or raising prices—to undermine Western technological and military advantages. Consequently, the U.S. is not only boosting domestic rare earth production but also collaborating with allies like Australia, Japan, and Canada to build a “China-diversified” rare earth supply chain.Additionally, the U.S. aims to reshape the global critical minerals landscape and reinforce its leadership in global supply chains. However, fully decoupling from Chinese rare earths in the short term remains challenging due to technical, cost, and environmental constraints. Nonetheless, reducing dependence on a single country has become a shared strategic priority among the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
近年来，美国积极推动其盟友减少对中国稀土资源的依赖，背后有多重战略考量。首先，中国目前控制着全球约60%以上的稀土开采和近90%的稀土加工产能，这使美国及其盟友在关键矿产供应链上高度依赖中国。稀土元素广泛应用于高科技产业，如智能手机、电动汽车、风力涡轮机以及国防装备（如导弹制导系统和雷达），一旦供应中断，将严重冲击国家安全与经济稳定。其次，中美战略竞争加剧，美国担心在地缘政治紧张局势升级时，中国可能将稀土作为反制工具，限制出口或提高价格，从而削弱西方国家的技术与军事优势。因此，美国一方面推动本土稀土产业发展，另一方面联合澳大利亚、日本、加拿大等盟友构建“去中国化”的稀土供应链，试图通过多元化来源降低风险。此外，美国还希望通过此举重塑全球关键矿产格局，强化自身在全球产业链中的主导地位。然而，短期内完全摆脱对中国稀土的依赖仍面临技术、成本和环保等多重挑战。尽管如此，减少对单一国家的依赖已成为美欧日等经济体的共同战略方向。
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