In preparation for the Sino-American summit, Beijing is defaming the rare metals weapon in Washington's face

As international circles await a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in the middle of next month as the two sides seek to ease trade tensions, a Reuters analysis revealed that Beijing has not taken advantage of the current "trade truce" between the two countries to rest on rest, but has intensified building up its economic and legal arsenal.

The analysis indicated that China's moves come as a pre-emptive strategic prelude before the expiration of the "Busan Agreement" signed last October, which is described as a "fragile truce" that will face its biggest test in the next few months.

China's response is no longer limited to diplomatic statements, according to Reuters analysts: China's State Council in April launched  strict legal regulations giving Beijing the power to take countermeasures against what it calls "illegal jurisdiction beyond borders."

This new legal framework is specifically designed to break the collar of U.S. secondary sanctions, giving Chinese companies an umbrella of legal protection in the event of international technical or trade restrictions.

Supply Chain Weapon

According to the analysis, China is aware that its strength lies in its control of raw materials, so it has taken escalatory steps by banning the export of rare metals and dual-use materials to certain parties, especially in Japan.

 Even more serious is Beijing's move to restrict the export of advanced solar panel manufacturing technologies, an industry in which China dominates 80 percent of global components, meaning it could derail green transition plans in the West if negotiations collapse.

Battle of Semiconductors

Inside China, according to Chinese media,  the pace of so-called technical "Standardization" is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with Beijing forcing chipmakers to use at least 50% of domestic equipment.

Government data center sectors have also been ordered to limit their use to local AI chips only. This trend was reinforced by a decisive decision last January to phase out U.S. and Israeli cybersecurity programs, under the pretext of protecting national security and reducing technological dependence.

Analysts say China's approach has shifted radically: Rather than focusing on abstract economic growth, "economic securitization" has become the primary driver. Beijing is seeking to enter the November summit with a solid negotiating position, supported by real pressure tools capable of hurting the other side.

They noted that it is an all-encompassing competition that goes beyond tariffs to reach the depth of technological sovereignty and strategic resources that will govern the shape of the global economy in the next decade.

Context of the visit

 US President Donald Trump announced his intention to make an official visit to China on May 14 and 15, during which he will meet with President Xi Jinping, after the previous visit was postponed due to the ongoing war with Iran.

 He said he would host his Chinese counterpart in a similar visit to Washington later this year, as part of an exchange of visits between the two countries.

In a post on Truth Social, he explained that the final arrangements for these two "historic visits" are in the works, expressing his aspiration to meet Xi Jinping at an event that he said would be "historic."

The visit was scheduled to take place earlier between March 31 and April 2, before it was postponed. The visit comes in the context of efforts to ease tensions between the world's two largest economies, amid contentious files that include tariffs, the Taiwan issue, the electronic chip industry, as well as issues of drugs, rare metals and agriculture.