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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stark warning at the American Compass Gala, highlighting China’s near-total dominance in global rare earth refining. He emphasized that the true strategic leverage lies not in mining, but in processing — an area where China controls over 70% of global capacity. Rubio stressed that this dependency puts America’s tech, defense, and energy industries at serious risk, warning that a supply disruption could paralyze sectors ranging from fighter jets to electric vehicles.
