China’s strategic investment in processing rare earth metals has led to its nearly total domination of worldwide rare earth metal production, giving it leverage over the United States, according to Nick Myers, CEO and co-founder of the U.S.-based rare earth processing company Phoenix Tailings.

In an exclusive interview on the latest episode of the Threat Status weekly podcast, Mr. Myers unpacks how China’s extensive rare earth processing infrastructure provides it with significant geopolitical leverage, particularly over the U.S., which relies on rare earth metals for its defense industry. The rare earth metals are used in U.S. Navy vessels, radar and sonar systems, F-35 jets and missile guidance systems.

Mr. Myers asserts that China’s dominance in the rare earth processing could lead to an economic or military disaster for Washington. “They are playing on a different level right now,” he says. “China is engaging in economic warfare. They understand that warfare is not all kinetic, and they’re leveraging their economic power.”

Mr. Trump said over the weekend that he is ready to ramp up sanctions against Russia after Moscow launched more than 800 drones and 13 missiles in its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attacks early Sunday sparked fires at several high-rise buildings in the Ukrainian capital.

It remains to be seen what specific sanctions Mr. Trump may impose. The president has expressed frustration over the lack of progress in peace talks and over the past two weeks has called on Western European nations to stop buying Russian oil, while also leveling steep tariffs on India over its consumption of Russian crude.

Mr. Putin, meanwhile, said ahead of the weekend that any Western troops in Ukraine would be fair targets for Russian forces — a clear warning to NATO and the U.S. as debate continues over security guarantees for Kyiv should peace negotiations suddenly gain steam. The Threat Status weekly podcast recently featured a discussion with Emily Kilcrease, a former deputy assistant U.S. trade representative, on the challenges associated with sanctioning Russian oil.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un not only enjoyed prominent positioning — he was the only international figure sitting directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr. Putin — at China’s major military parade last week, but Mr. Kim also undertook hours of bilateral discussions with his Russian and Chinese counterparts.

Mr. Xi said China and North Korea “should strengthen strategic coordination in international and regional affairs to safeguard common interests.” Mr. Putin praised the skill and courage of North Korean troops who fought alongside Russian forces in Kursk, Russia. Mr. Kim told Mr. Putin that Russia’s ties had “significantly strengthened.” Mr. Kim also said North Korea would “invariably support” China.

Pyongyang propagandists could hardly have prayed for better optics. Washington Times Asia Editor Andrew Salmon offers a deep dive, exploring how the U.S. and Japan could counter the Russia-China-North Korea alignment by increasing their own trilateral alliance with South Korea. Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean general says, “The U.S. and Japan should realize that South Korea has become more important.”

The State Department recently renewed its finding that the Chinese government is engaged in genocide against Uyghurs, but according to Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, the time has come for “Washington to show Beijing that genocidal policies will be met with more than just strong words.”

In an op-ed in The Washington Times, Mr. Kanat points to more than 20 bills “pending in Congress to combat China’s tactics to evade accountability, including its influence operations and violations of civil rights on U.S. soil.

“These bills will step up U.S. efforts to end secret Chinese police stations and other transnational repression on U.S. soil, end the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars in government procurement for goods made with Uyghur forced labor and stop U.S. retirement funds’ investments in Chinese companies profiting from CCP surveillance and repression,” he writes. “They will make a meaningful difference in protecting Uyghur survivors and holding China accountable.”

Mr. Trump gave “every appearance of getting along just fine with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at his White House summit in August,” according to longtime journalist Donald Kirk. “In the end, however, Messrs. Trump and Lee came up with no agreements, deals or guarantees of South Korea’s security against a North Korean regime fortified by a much-strengthened alliance with Russia.”

Furthermore, Mr. Trump has in the past “cast doubt on the future of a military alliance for which Camp Humphreys provides the headquarters for U.S. Forces Korea and the Combined Forces Command of Korean and American troops,” writes Mr. Kirk, who explores in an op-ed in The Times the extent to which the current administration may believe the base “could become a pawn in getting South Korea to pay far more than the $1.1 billion annually that was negotiated during the Biden administration for U.S. defense.”

Camp Humphreys could, Mr. Kirk writes, “ultimately be sold to greedy real estate investors if Mr. Trump decides to leave the South to face the North on its own, as he hinted at during his first term.”

• Sept. 9 — Southeast Europe’s Growing Role in European Energy Security, Hudson Institute

• Sept. 9 — China’s Economy: How Bad is It? Center for Strategic & International Studies

• Sept. 9 — Will ‘Peace’ in Ukraine Lead to More War? Chatham House

• Sept. 9 — From Monroe to the Golden Age: Charting America’s Path in Latin America, Alexander Hamilton Society

• Sept. 17 — New Visions for Grand Strategy, Stimson Center

• Sept. 20-21 — AFA National Convention 2025, Air & Space Forces Association

• Sept. 22-23 — Cyber Defense Summit 25, Mandiant & Google Threat Intelligence

• Sept. 23-25 — National Cyber Summit