Analysis by WorldTribune Staff, October 14, 2025 Real World News
What exactly is going on in Communist China, and where is Comrade Xi Jinping?
China’s sweeping restrictions on rare earth exports in a surprise announcement last week caught the White House off guard ahead of an expected meeting between President Donald Trump and Communist China President Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this month in Seoul, South Korea.
If implemented, the restrictions would disrupt U.S. defense, technology, semiconductor and automobile industries.
President Trump responded with a threat of 100 percent tariffs on Nov. 1 or sooner that would effectively shut down trade between the largest economies in the world.
Trump and Xi are still scheduled to meet, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC Tuesday, though he noted those plans are subject to change depending on what happens in the flurry of bilateral huddles that have taken place since the Chinese announcement.
Meanwhile analysts Gordon Chang and Gregory Copley have independently written that Xi Jinping has been essentially removed from power at the inner sanctums of Zhongnanhai, the Chinese Communist Party headquarters.
What is really going on may become more clear on Oct. 20-23 at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CCP Congress, Copley wrote for GIS/Defense and Foreign Affairs.
Senior U.S. and Chinese officials spoke as recently as Oct. 13 in Washington about the rare earth dispute, Greer said. “We think we’ll be able to work through it.” he said.
“A lot depends on what the Chinese do,” Greer said. “They are the ones who have chosen to make this major escalation.”
“We can’t have a situation where the Chinese keep this regime in place, where they want to have veto power over the world’s high tech supply chains,” the U.S. trade representative said.
Related – Analysis: Xi Jinping’s real nightmare is a force over which he has no control, October 12, 2025
China controls about 60% of rare earth mining and more than 90% of refining worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency. The U.S. is dependent on China for roughly 70% of its rare earth imports, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
On Oct. 10, Trump posted on Truth Social:
It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the World, stating that they were going to, effective November 1st, 2025, impose large scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them. This affects ALL Countries, without exception, and was obviously a plan devised by them years ago. It is absolutely unheard of in International Trade, and a moral disgrace in dealing with other Nations.
Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the U.S.A., and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1st, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software.
It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is History. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
DONALD J. TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Two days later, in a bid to calm the markets, he published the following:
Don’t worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesn’t want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!! President DJT
Where is Xi Jinping? Ball in China’s court on rare earths-tariffs showdown, says Team Trump added by Editor One on
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