While Utah boasts the first mine in the world to harvest gallium and germanium, the Apex Mine in Washington County operated intermittently from 1884 to 1962, reopened and is now idled.

Just a few weeks ago, the Atlantic Council posted a caustic headline that bleated, “In a war against China, the US could quickly exhaust its weapons.” Their solution is “A new Indo-Pacific defense initiative.

China abruptly ousted two military lawmakers from its national parliament without explanation, as a purge of key personnel in the upper echelons of the nation’s defense establishment shows no sign of easing.

China does not dominate global chip production yet, but its market share is growing fast. The U.S. government estimates that China could be responsible for more than 40 percent of global capacity in foundational chips by 2032, with more than half of the world’s capacity in some segments.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) held the interest rate on the one-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) steady at 2 per cent, according to a statement on Dec 25. Nine out of the 10 economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast no change. The rate was last cut in September by 30 basis points.

China is skirting U.S. efforts to block its interference in areas ranging from trade to national security by cozying up with state officials to foster relations and keep its influence active in the U.

China's control is most pronounced in materials like gallium, accounting for 98 percent of global production. Gallium is vital for manufacturing high-performance microchips used in cutting-edge military technologies such as advanced radar systems and missile guidance platforms.

Most experts believe that the United States would enter a “long depression” if the supply chains linking the United States and China together were severed due to a war between the two great powers.

A former US Marine accused of training Chinese military pilots will be extradited to face charges in the United States, Australia’s Attorney General confirmed Monday, dealing a blow to supporters who have mounted a public campaign for his freedom.

The Chinese Navy has fielded the extended-range JL-3-class SLBM, capable of reaching the continental United States, on its JIN-class ballistic missile submarine, enabling China to strike the continental United States with SLBMs from the Bohai Gulf or the South China Sea.

The Chinese government is protesting the latest American announcements of military sales and assistance to Taiwan, warning the United States that it is “playing with fire.”