The head of the world’s strongest defense alliance is stepping down after 10 years of service.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gave his farewell remarks on Thursday at the German Marshall Fund Event.
“Freedom is more important than free trade … Russia used gas as a weapon to try to coerce us. And to prevent us from supporting Ukraine. We must not make the same mistake with China. Depending on Chinese rare earth minerals, exporting advanced technologies, and allowing foreign control of critical infrastructure weakens our resilience and creates risks,” he said.
For years, the United States and its allies have been trying to break China’s control of rare earth minerals. These minerals are key for high-tech industries, including weapons.
In 1992, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping highlighted China’s advantage in rare earths, stating, “The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths.” Now, China dominates the market, controlling about 70 percent of global rare earths output and more than 90 percent of rare earths refining.