In Rare Earth Talks, Another Troubling Sign of a US Pivot on Myanmar

If, as reports suggest, US President Donald Trump is interested in Myanmar’s rare earth deposits, he may have to make a phone call or two to Kachin leaders and ethnic armies based along the border with China. Make a deal with them and that will no doubt upset Beijing!

Rare earth elements are essential for high-tech applications including smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced military systems. Myanmar, particularly its northern border regions like Kachin State, has become a significant source of these minerals.

Reuters reported Tuesday that the Trump administration “has heard competing proposals that would significantly alter longstanding US policy toward Myanmar, with the aim of diverting its vast supplies of rare earth minerals away from strategic rival China,” citing four people with direct knowledge of the discussions.