With export controls modeled on America’s extraterritorial tech rules—and licenses required even for products containing trace China-origin inputs—Beijing has shifted the fight upstream, where a few chemical steps can decide the fate of entire industries.The signal lands before any court does: if Washington can police chips wherever they’re made, China can police minerals wherever they go.
What makes this round different is symmetry. US controls deny Chinese champions advanced nodes and equipment; China replies with leverage over inputs that touch everything from EV drivetrains to precision munitions.
