China and the Geopolitics of Rare Earths

Rare earths, indispensable inputs for high tech, military, and renewable applications, remain in the hands of China, a power on the rise. Largely out of the public eye prior to 2010, rare earths, and China's monopoly over them, became international news after China "unofficially" halted exports to Japan, the United States, and Europe following a collision between Chinese and Japanese boats in the East China Sea. Focusing on China's monopoly over the rare earth industry, this book examines the impacts of growing worldwide resource competition and the complexities policymakers face as they develop strategies and responses in an increasingly globalized world.