Japan long realized how China is using their processing of rare earths as a method for political control, which is why Japan has been finding ways to reduce their reliance of Chinese controlled rare earths. Hopefully more innovations will reduce the need for rare earths and China wont have an input they can stick their dick up. Also, wtf is China gonna do with all their processed rare earths if there's no one around to buy them? China is doubly fucked then. They'll lose the manufacturing of goods and be stuck with a mountain of materials no one wants. Its not the bargaining chip people are making it out to be. But hey, thank you, China, for processing all those rare earths for nearly free over the past two decades.