US trade war with China accelerates US imperialism's decline

Written by: Ned K. on 21 April 2025

(Source:shenglufashion.com)

The rising tariffs imposed by the Trump regime on its main rival China is arguably adding to US imperialism's decline not only economically but militarily. The financial pages of the capitalist press in Australia are quite informative on this matter.

For example, the Easter weekend addition of the Australian Financial Review contains an article headed "Trade war allows Beijing to fire a warning shot at US military".

The article says that rare earths are a group of 17 elements and that it is not that they are "rare" in the world that is the worry for the US military. What the US military worry about is that nearly all the extraction, mining and refining of the elements crucial for a wide range of military related essential goods come from China.

China's retaliation to the US imposed tariffs on Chinese goods include the Chinese Government "ordering restrictions on the exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets ... including special export licenses for six heavy rare earth metals which are refined entirely in China".

China also produces 90% of magnets made from these rare earth metals. The US military industrial complex is dependent on these magnets in the following areas -

• In US fighter jets to start the engines and for emergency power

• On precision-guided ballistic missiles these magnets rotate the tail fins that enable precision targeting of moving and stationary objects (or people!)

• in battery-powered drones, the magnets are irreplaceable in the electric motors

• the magnets are also vital components in US warships, missiles, tanks. lasers and submarines

• one of the rare earth elements, Yrtrium, is needed in high temperature jet engine coatings on turbine blades to stop aircraft from melting in mid-air!

The article in the AFR says that US defence analysts claim the US government have stockpiles of the required refined rare earth minerals in usable form for only a few months, not years.

US Imperialism Wants Australia's Refined Rare Earth Minerals.

US President Trump has imposed tariffs on some Australian imported goods but is sure to tighten the screws on whichever of the two main servants of US imperialism, Labor or Liberal, wins the coming federal election. High on the US agenda will be the lion's share of supply to the US of Australia's rare earth minerals.

The same deal is part of Trump's plans for Ukraine. Plentiful supply and control by the US of Ukraine's rare earth minerals.

Whichever party Labor or Liberal wins the federal election, neither will stand for Australian independence from the US. Both will echo US imperialism's alarm bells when US imperialism's rival, China, increases its economic. political and military interests near Australia or indeed within Australia.

Some of the ruling class in Australia can see the writing on the wall for a declining US power and will hope to hitch on to the rising power China.

Since 1788 the First Nations peoples followed by generations of migrants from Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific Ocean have seen this continent "developed" primarily in the interests of imperialist powers. First the British, then the USA. Japanese imperialism had a go as well but failed to get a hold of this continent.

So why should Chinese imperialism be any different from the old imperialist powers regarding the interests of the First Nations and migrant origin people of Australia (including Chinese Australians)?

It's time for this continent to be owned and run by the First Nations peoples and migrant-origin workers and their allies as an independent Australian continent.

USA Out of Australia

China Stay Out of Australia

Time for an Independent, Socialist Australia

Print Version - new window Email article

-----

Go back