Daines urges Washington and Beijing to keep rare-earth talks open
US Senator Steve Daines has called for continued engagement between Washington and Beijing despite unresolved disputes over rare-earth supplies and other issues. His comments came as both governments prepare for further meetings between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, while US officials continue pressing China over access to critical minerals.
US Senator Steve Daines has urged Washington and Beijing to remain engaged over rare-earth supplies and other unresolved disputes, saying neither side should withdraw from dialogue after President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. “Both sides admit we’ve got some serious differences,” Daines told the South China Morning Post. “But the answer is not to retreat.
The answer is to stay engaged.” He said issues that predated Xi’s visit would continue to be addressed after the summit. The comments followed criticism from US ambassador to China David Perdue, who accused Beijing of “weaponising” its dominant position in critical minerals. Rare earths remain a central point of tension because China controls much of the world’s processing capacity, including materials used in magnets for defence systems, robotics and electric vehicles.
A White House fact sheet said the two countries would continue working on US concerns about shortages of rare earths and other critical minerals, with the aim of returning shipments to appropriate levels. China’s statement on Xi’s visit did not mention the issue. During the summit, the countries announced a two-month extension of a trade agreement reached in South Korea last year.
The arrangement included a Chinese commitment to increase supplies of critical metals to the US, while Washington paused some additional restrictions and China paused certain controls on rare-earth exports. US officials had repeatedly pressed Beijing to accelerate export approvals. The White House said Trump and Xi would meet again next month at the Apec gathering in Shenzhen, followed by another meeting at the Group of 20 summit in Miami in December.
Daines, who helped communicate between Beijing and Washington before Xi’s visit, said he remained in contact with people expected to attend the next talks. China’s rare-earth magnet shipments to the US fell 13 per cent year on year to 512 tonnes in August, according to the source material. Daines also said arms sales to Taiwan would remain an ongoing issue, while declining to treat remarks about possible US weapons sales to China as a firm proposal.
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