Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : In a strategic move that underscores its growing influence, China has backed a local militia in Myanmar to seize control of a vital hub for rare earth elements (REEs), tightening Beijing's chokehold on the global supply of these critical minerals. The militia has ousted a rival armed group loyal to Myanmar's ruling military junta, taking over the resource-rich area of Pangwa in Kachin State.
This development is a major blow to Western efforts to diversify the supply chain for rare earths—a group of 17 metals essential for high-tech manufacturing. These minerals, particularly heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium found in this region, are indispensable components in electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, and sophisticated defense technology.
The takeover was reportedly carried out by a militia with strong ties to Beijing, effectively flipping control of one of the world's most significant sources of heavy rare earths directly into China's sphere of influence. Myanmar has rapidly become China’s largest source for these minerals, and this seizure ensures that a friendly and dependent proxy force now oversees the lucrative and environmentally destructive mining operations.
The event highlights China's complex and pragmatic strategy within Myanmar's ongoing civil war. While officially maintaining relations with the ruling junta, Beijing is simultaneously arming and supporting ethnic militias along its border to secure its own economic and strategic interests. This allows China to guarantee the flow of resources regardless of who holds power in the capital.
For the rest of the world, this consolidation of control is an alarming development. It reinforces China's near-monopoly on the processing and supply of minerals that are foundational to the green energy transition and modern military hardware, leaving global markets more vulnerable to Beijing's geopolitical agenda.
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