As early as the Sino-US trade war started, China had already shown its cards: it didn't take the initiative to pick things up, but it was not afraid of things. No, he hit the vital point as soon as he made his move.
As China became serious about rare earth exports, the United States immediately panicked. Trump made tough remarks to increase taxes, while quietly signing an order to protect military personnel and pay salaries. It seemed aggressive, but in fact it was strong on the outside but hard on the inside.
An American expert put it bluntly: "China has been preparing for this day for fifty years." This is not a polite word, but a manifestation of solid strategic determination. Then the question comes. Is Trump's operation of "guaranteeing handsome" an expedient measure or a strategic self-help?
The US military lives on food relief, and the government shutdown bursts the "powerful" bubble
From October 1, the U.S. federal government officially fell into the shutdown mode.This is not the first time, but this time the shock wave was fierce, even the U.S. military could not withstand, it is hard to imagine, the world's first military power, the military, in the street dressed in a colorful suit, ranks for the long army to rescue food, this picture is actually a bit of magic.
According to reports, the U.S. Army Emergency Assistance Organization recently received approximately 7500 requests for help, totaling more than $10 million. This is not an isolated phenomenon, but a common dilemma.
What's worse is that if the government shutdown lasts until October 15th, military pay may not be paid. The Speaker of the National Assembly directly warned that the salary of soldiers will be "interrupted", which is no trivial matter and directly related to the morale and combat readiness of the army.
An institution that was supposed to be the nation's most stable system has now fallen victim to a partisan tug-of-war. Instead of being an "untouchable red line", the army has been dragged into a political quagmire.
This exposes not only financial problems, but also institutional cracks. When soldiers have to live on relief food, the myth of the so-called "strongest military power in the world" is almost time to wake up.
In fact, this also explains why Trump later wanted to "urgent braking", not that he suddenly became kind, but that he knew that he could not stabilize this "good flag" anymore, and really didn't even have the bottom card.
China plays the "rare earth card" to accurately lock the door of high-end manufacturing
Just at the time of the U.S. rubbish, the Chinese side's actions appeared to be tolerant.The new regulation issued by the Ministry of Commerce, on the surface is rare-earth export control, the principle is the accurate "lock throat" of the entire high-end manufacturing chain.
This is not a simple "sell not sell mines" issue, but a systematic set of rules design.The new rules clearly stipulate that even if the products are made abroad, as long as they contain a small amount of Chinese rare earth, they must be approved to export; as long as the use of Chinese technology or equipment is equally limited; especially those involving military use, in principle not approved; AI system-related products, must be approved one by one.
To put it bluntly, China is no longer simply a "raw material warehouse," but holds the right to speak in its own hands. This move is not rushed or rushed, but it is extremely lethal. Major players in the U.S. defense industry, such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, etc., will face a problem: if they cannot use China's rare earths and technology, their core product chain may be broken.
This is not a one-time "sanction", but a structural adjustment in a long-term game. What's more, China uses rules, laws and procedures, which are watertight. This style of play is both legal and efficient. The key is to make the other side unable to even find an excuse.
Are you going to call this a "counterattack"? It is more a demonstration of strategic determination. From resource management to technical security to industrial chain layout, behind this is a complete set of China-style long-term projects. The United States is still counting on "China," but in the face of this locked situation of the entire chain, no matter how loud the slogan is, it cannot solve the reality of the supply chain rupture.
Removing Peter to pay Paul: Trump's "abandoning the car to protect the handsome" and strategic dilemma
He signed a presidential decree requiring the defense minister to “in any case” ensure that the soldiers receive the salary as expected on October 15. This is not a “looking forward” strategic layout, but a “fire rescue” temporary response.
The Pentagon was forced to misuse the $8 billion it had planned to spend on research and development, testing and evaluation, which was to be spent on next-generation weapons systems, AI tactical platforms, unmanned combat systems, and so on, and is now all used to “pick up” military personnel.
This operation looks like demolishing the East Wall and supplementing the West Wall. On the surface, it is “stabilizing the military heart”, in fact, consuming the future fighting force. If the military is “charming”, then these technology and development projects are “car”; Trump’s hand is the typical “abandoned car sheriff.”
Ironically, the cause of all this is not the "enemy to commit" at all, but the political intersection within the United States.The White House put the responsibility on the Democrats, saying that the other party did not budget, and paralyzed the government.But the people don't care who won the fight, they care about whether they have a salary, especially the military.
This also further reveals a key issue: the United States 'strategic deployment is becoming increasingly difficult to coordinate. Externally, it wants to maintain global hegemony, but internally, it cannot even unify financial allocation. Faced with China's systematic, long-term, and institutionalized strategic planning, the United States '"temporary cramming" response is destined to be passive.
At present, although the United States 'action to "protect the commander" has temporarily stabilized its position, it has consumed a large amount of strategic resources. And China's "rare earth card" has just played its first. The future confrontation will be not only an economic war, but also a competition between institutional efficiency and strategic determination. Whether Trump can continue to "tear down walls" depends on how many walls he has left to tear down.
China did not declare war in a high-profile manner, nor did it make a final decision. Instead, it fought step by step and steadily. On the contrary, it was the United States itself that pushed itself into a corner. In contrast, the judgment is high.
Within a few weeks, one was the military in line with relief, one was the industrial chain being precisely carved in the neck, and one was the president's personal departure from the guard. These seemingly unrelated events, in fact, all point to the same reality: the United States is breaking down the shell of the "strong" a little bit at a visible speed.
And China, spent 50 years of preparation, in exchange is not a temporary victory, but the initiative in the long-term game. Trump's "abandoned car sheriff" operation may last a while, but in the future, there are not so many chess can be used, China and the United States this chess, just entered the Chinese government.
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Military pay becomes a party fighting for bargaining chip, Trump is anxious--2025 - 10 -12 17:46·World Wide Web