More than a dozen executives from the world’s largest companies have joined US President Donald Trump on a high-stakes visit to China. The business delegation points to an agenda dominated by trade, technology, and rare earths. The minerals are the building block of many modern industries, and a source of economic leverage for Beijing. Also in the show – the US Senate approves Kevin Warsh to be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
It’s interesting that the delegation includes so many tech CEOs, but I’m worried about how much leverage China has with those rare earths. That’s a huge strategic vulnerability.
I can’t believe the Senate approved Kevin Warsh while Trump is in Beijing. That feels like a deliberate distraction from the real trade negotiations.
Rare earths are definitely the backbone of modern tech, but I hope Trump doesn’t give away too much for short-term trade deals. We need to secure domestic supply chains.
The fact that 12 top executives are there shows how critical this trip is. But without clear commitments on intellectual property, it’s just a photo op.