China state planner official: China will prioritize domestic rare earth demand

....but willing to meet other countries reasonable demands

China is rich in rare earth elements that are essential in things of every day use such as computer memory, DVDs, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, catalytic converters, magnets, fluorescent lighting and more. One counter to the US tariffs is the potential for the Chinese to limit US companies from China's rare earth elements.

A China state planner official is on the wires saying"

• China will prioritize domestic rare earth demand, but willing to meet other countries reasonable demand

The headline is somewhat vague. It does not specifically mention the US, but it does seem to imply, if the demand is "unreasonable" (i.e. hoarding by a country), those demands will be rejected.

If the trade war goes toward retaliation from a rare earth perspective, it ratchets up the stakes of the war to more dangerous economic levels for not only the US, but China and the world. It is therefore thought to be less likely of a threat.