The US wants to curb its reliance on China for specialised minerals used to make weapons and high-tech equipment, but it faces a Catch-22.
It only has one rare earths mine – and government scientists have been told not to work with it because of its Chinese ties.
The mine is southern California’s Mountain Pass, home to the world’s eighth-largest reserves of the rare earths used in missiles, fighter jets, night-vision goggles and other devices.