On October 13, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent sparked public opinion in a TV show and publicly said that if China continues to restrict rare earth exports, the U.S. will consider “re-evaluating” China’s visa policy for international students.
This is not a roundabout statement, which means: If China does not release rare earths, the United States will drive them out. As soon as this matter came out, public opinion exploded.
Rare earths, which originally belonged to the fields of science and technology and industry, were suddenly entangled with education issues, and hundreds of thousands of China students in the United States have inexplicably become chips in a diplomatic game.
The more the United States wants to retain its dominance, the more it finds itself free from its dependence on critical resources and external human resources.
Rare earth stuck in its neck, and the United States couldn't sit still
In the past few days, China has just updated the regulations on rare-earth exports. The process of export approval has been tightened a lot, especially those belonging to the high-end manufacturing and military direction of rare-earth varieties, stricter.
Rare-earth is something that looks unobtrusive, but is widely used in modern industries.From chip manufacturing to new energy, to military equipment, it is almost impossible to bypass.
China has invested a lot in this area in recent years, not only in mining, but also in back-end separation, purification and fine processing. Now in the global market, most of rare earth raw materials and processing capacity are in the hands of China. This is not a pattern formed overnight, but a foundation laid by decades of layout.
In fact, the United States is not without rare earth resources, but it has not paid attention to this field for many years. Later, I realized the problem and wanted to make up for the break in the industrial chain, but this can't be done in one or two years.
The current reality is that American technology is to develop, many key links still have to rely on China's rare earth support. so as soon as China tightened, the United States could not sit down.
Bessent’s reaction was both emotional and relentless, and he knew that China had a real advantage in rare land, and that the United States could not compensate for it in this short time.
So he could only skip the technical level, turn around and talk about education, and try to use other pressure points to put pressure on China.
International students become bargaining chips, who is more afraid of whom?
The idea of using foreign students as bargaining chips sounds like deliberate harsh words, but when it comes from the mouths of senior U.S. officials, it will have a considerable impact.
Hundreds of thousands of Chinese students in the United States, originally the main force of education and science and technology exchange. among these people, some are doing research, some are studying PhD, some are engaged in projects in the lab, and some are ordinary university students.
They come to study in the United States not only to improve themselves, but also to "work" for the American higher education and scientific research system.
To put it bluntly, many universities in the United States, especially some local schools, have obvious dependence on international students. These students pay high tuition fees and spend living expenses, which is also driving local consumption.
To go deeper, many research projects, especially those in engineering and science and technology, really depend on the support of these students from China and other places. If they are really driven away, the United States' own scientific research level will have to follow the fault.
Of course, Chinese students do not have to go to the U.S. only to find a way out. Over the years, China's domestic higher education level has been increasing, and many students have begun to choose European, Asian, and even domestic research institutions.
So really to tear off the face, the end does not necessarily be China to lose.
Bessent put this out, looks tough, in fact, is an anxious expression. he knows that in rare lands there is no way to make Chinese concessions, he wants to create pressure from another angle.
But the problem is that it is dangerous in itself to use education as a political tool, which not only undermines the fundamental trust in international educational cooperation, but may also undermine the image of the United States in the global academic world.
From rare ground to college, the game upgrading cannot stop.
The friction between China and the United States has almost never stopped in recent years. From the trade war, to the science and technology war, to financial supervision, even education and resources have now been drawn in.
At first, people thought it was just friction at the policy level, but later found that it was a systematic game upgrading.
The rare earth problem was not formed in a day, nor was it taken seriously today. The reason why China has gradually strengthened the supervision of rare earth exports is that this resource itself belongs to the national strategic security category.
This is not only China, but also other countries.The United States itself has set limits on chip exports, and cooperation with technology companies has done a little less than others.But when China takes a similar strategy on resources, the United States instead begins to react sharply, this double standard, the world sees clearly.
As for the issue of international students, the United States is originally a country that relies on attracting global talents to maintain its scientific and technological advantage. If you cut this road now, it will be tantamount to personally destroying the talent ecology on which you rely for a living.
This approach has brought some disruption to China, but in the long run it will hurt the United States even more.
From trade to technology, from resources to talents, this game is no longer a partial friction, but a whole range of matches. Every conflict appears to be triggered by a policy and is actually behind the interest collision of two countries in re-shaping the global order. The United States is reluctant to be overcome in some key areas, while China hopes to fight for more initiative in development. No one wants to give in, no one wants to retreat.
At the time, globalization was said to be mutually beneficial and win-win, but now it has become mutual protection. Originally it should be the education and resources of cooperation, but now it is considered a game tool. This change, reflecting the loss of trust, is the rewrite of the rules.
According to Bessent, the U.S. is no longer covering up its opposing gestures in policy.This statement not only demonstrates the current U.S. government's pressure to counter China's strategic resource control, but also reflects the way it tries to reverse the situation through "intersectoral pressure."
Unfortunately, tying international students to the issue of rare earths is not only logically untenable, but also morally untenable.
China cannot relax its control over rare earths just because of a threat, and the United States cannot easily give up its reliance on external talents. This kind of "I will drive people out if you don't sell the mines" approach may seem tough but lacks constructive, and will only intensify mutual distrust.
The current Sino-US relationship has entered a more complex phase, which is no longer a single-level game, but a cross-collision of various fields.
It is hard to say whether there will be more such extreme pressures in the future, but it is certain that this method will not solve the problem, but will only exacerbate the contradiction.
By threatening to exchange resources, by deportation to dominate, this way of thinking is destined to go not far.
The key to solving real problems is never pressure, but dialogue. The power consumed by each other in confrontation is better than to find the possibility of cooperation. Neither country like China and the United States can afford to lose, nor can they win a "lose-lose" game. Be sensible, and everyone will pay less.
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