U.S. President Donald Trump and other Western leaders have pledged billions of dollars in investments to break China’s chokehold on rare earths refining – a powerful lever Beijing has
in its trade war with Washington. But China still holds a significant advantage in the pipeline of talent that it has developed over decades in places like Baotou.
China has created an ecosystem of more than 40 specialist rare earth laboratories that produce cutting-edge research, supplemented by at least 11 universities and technical colleges that collectively enroll more than 500 students annually in rare earths degree programs, a Reuters examination has found. That accumulated expertise sustains Beijing’s grip on global supplies of refined rare earths.