China is restricting the supply of important minerals to Western arms manufacturers, – Wall Street Journal

The publication notes that this is causing delays in production and forcing companies to search for global reserves of minerals needed to make everything from bullets to fighter jets.

 

The restriction of critical minerals highlights the dependence of the U.S. military on China for much of its supply chain. This gives Beijing leverage during a period of growing tensions between the two powers and intense trade negotiations, according to the WSJ.