CNA Talks: A National Security Podcast Competition Between the US and China Enters a New Phase
Sep 10, 2025
Christopher Cairns and April Herlevi, experts from CNA's China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division, delve into the escalating tech competition between the US and China. They discuss trade tensions and national security linked to rare earth minerals. The conversation shifts to AI chip regulations, exploring the implications of recent licensing requirements. They also highlight China’s advancements in space technologies and issues of cybersecurity, including notable hacking incidents impacting major tech firms.
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Trade Is Now A Security Tool
- Trade measures between the U.S. and China now function as extensions of security competition rather than separate economic issues.
- Access to game-changing technologies drives tit-for-tat tariffs and export controls on both sides.
Export Controls As Negotiation Leverage
- China now uses export controls openly as leverage in negotiations with the United States.
- Beijing treats export restrictions as a bargaining tool rather than a rare or secretive practice.
Refining, Not Just Mining, Is Strategic
- China dominates refining capacity for key rare earths, creating a bottleneck even beyond raw mining.
- This refining control gives China outsized influence over magnets used in jets, missiles, and drones.