Unable to buy Chinese rare earths, the U.S. Treasury Secretary has really broken the defense now: If China doesn't lift the rare earth control, I will drive hundreds of thousands of students studying in the United States back!

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bescent really can't sit still this time. On October 13th, local time, he made a big remark in an interview with Fox Financial Channel, suggesting that if China did not revoke the new rare earth export control regulations, the United States might expel hundreds of thousands of Chinese students in the United States.

Not only that, Besent also unabashedly said in the interview: ¡°We have simple, brutal countermeasures.¡±He threatened not only Chinese students, but also further actions in the fields of software, minerals and financial services.

As early as May this year, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio announced that he would ¡°actively revoke¡± Chinese student visas, especially those students ¡°related to Chinese political party institutions or critical areas of study.¡±

Although U.S. officials have long loved Chinese students, Chinese students are the parents of the majority of U.S. universities.

According to statistics, in 2024, the number of China students studying in the United States will be approximately 277,000. Although this figure is down from the peak of 370,000 in 2019, it still constitutes a vital source of income for American universities.

As a result, as soon as the Sino-US trade war escalated, the food and clothing parents of American universities became bargaining chips used by the U.S. government to coerce China.

Ironically, just about a month before Besent's threat, in early September, Trump was still defending his practice of forcibly issuing study visas to 600,000 China students despite strong opposition from American public opinion: "I think it's an insult to a country not to accept their students."

The same matter has been about a month since then, but the Trump administration's internal statements are completely different and can even be said to be inconsistent. This shows how insane Washington's position on China has become.

In this game, both sides are testing each other's bottom line.

Rare earth control is only part of our package of countermeasures recently introduced. Observers pointed out that China's recent series of counter-measures, including suspending the purchase of American agricultural products and imposing special port fees on American ships, have actually put the United States under great pressure.

Besent tried to win over so-called "allies in the democratic camp" such as the European Union and India to support the United States, but the effect was doubtful. Not to mention that the current relations between these organizations and countries with the United States are not much better, in the face of huge practical interests, I think we have to put a question on whether these so-called "allies" of the United States are willing to pay for the United States 'rare earth anxiety. Big question mark.

Although the United States has been trying to rebuild its domestic rare earth supply chain for years, the separation and purification technology after rare earth mining remains firmly in the hands of China to this day.

Obviously, this is not a dilemma that Bessant and his like can solve by expelling international students. Even if the United States drives all China students back to the country tomorrow, the problem of rare earths shortage in the United States will still be unsolved.

Besent¡¯s defenses essentially expose America¡¯s strategic anxiety in the face of China¡¯s counter-reaction.

From Trump to Besson, the U.S. high-ranking attitude shifted from strong threats to seeking negotiations in just a few days, which has actually explained the problem.

Although Bessent is still hard on his mouth, he himself has actually admitted to the interview: "100% tariff punishment doesn't have to happen." "I am optimistic that the situation can be eased."

It is clearly a tough word, but the breath is softer than the wealthy body.

Bessent's change in attitude is in sharp contrast to our firm opposition. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Sword made it clear that if the United States is alone, "China will also resolutely take appropriate measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests."

Everyone can see that this battle around rare lands is redefining the basic rules of the game of great powers.

Today, with the deepening of globalization, interdependence is no longer an absolute weakness, but a strategic advantage that can be flexibly transformed.

What we demonstrated this time through rare-earth export controls is not only the control of critical resources, but also the ability to accurately identify our own advantages in complex interdependence relationships.

Bescent's threat, ostensibly aimed at Chinese students, actually exposed the predicament of the United States in strategic competition.

Once traditional sanctions and threats are no longer effective, and once opponents have the same countermeasures, what else can the United States do to maintain its hegemonic position?

In this game, China appears to be defending, and in fact has taken the initiative through precise counteraction; the United States appears to be attacking, but has repeatedly retreated at critical moments.

The rare-earth battle between China and the United States has only just begun, but the signals it sends are clear enough.

In the new international order, countries with the advantage of the industrial chain have the ultimate voice, and the expulsion of foreign students to cope with the rare-earth crisis is nothing more than a political performance.

Bessent¡¯s breakdown marks a turning point in an era.Whether the United States acknowledges it or not, their sanctions bars can no longer actually scare countries like China.

In this world of you with me and you with me, the biggest loser is often the one who first rolls the table.