World · 24 July 2026
China halts rare earth exports to Rheinmetall after EU sanctions.
Beijing immediately halted shipments of military and civilian supplies, such as rare earths, to targets including the German defence contractor Rheinmetall. Officials announced the decision on Friday, a day after Brussels added 14 Chinese and Hong Kong businesses to its Russia sanctions list. While European regulators penalised small logistics firms, a former Chinese diplomat said Beijing selected heavyweights to make sure its response genuinely hurts.
Reported by South China Morning Post · How we write briefs