He flew 7,000 miles for rare earths. China gave him a word.
The word was "address." Not a deal, not a timeline, not a single ton of dysprosium — just a verb designed to sound like progress. Meanwhile, China's own summary of the summit didn't mention rare earths at all. Exports of the heavy metals that keep EV magnets working and missiles flying are still running 50% below pre-control levels. And in the background, two deadlines are ticking: November 10, when the tariff truce expires, and January 1, when the Pentagon bans Chinese magnets from every American weapons system.
