National Security Policies, Monopolies and Rare Earth Elements

Securitization Narratives in the U.S. and China

Bibliographic Data

ID19225786
AuthorsNathan Becker (0000-0002-1428-7589, University of Central Florida, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume54
Issue3
Publication date2026-05-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitics & Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1555-5623 • E-ISSN: 1747-1346
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/polp.70135
OpenAlexW7160415326
LanguageEN
References cited41

This article examines rare earth elements (REEs), minerals declared essential for U.S. economic and national security which are used extensively across the defense and commercial sectors. Concerningly, REE disruptions ‘could exhaust U.S. stocks in less than 90 days’. Given China's recent REE restrictions towards the U.S., this paper uses securitization theory to examine REE policies in both countries with qualitative case studies. While securitization efforts are prominent in both foreign and domestic policies, “adaptation is not as urgent a policy as would be expected from the logic of securitization”. China recognized the strategic implications of REEs and adapted, creating a monopoly, while the U.S. has not utilized urgency in its securitization or adaptation measures, prioritizing domestic legislation and adjudication in international organizations. This substantial reliance on China and the relatively slow U.S. bureaucratic response resulted in a limited effectiveness for securitizing critical resources. Related Articles Kong, Linggong. 2025. “A Study on the Formulation of the Biden Administration's Semiconductor Policy Toward China Through the Lens of the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF).” Politics & Policy 53(6): e70106. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.70106 . Antwi‐Boateng, Osman, and Mamudu Abunga Akudugu. 2020. “Golden Migrants: The Rise and Impact of Illegal Chinese Small‐Scale Mining in Ghana.” Politics & Policy 48(1): 135‐167. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12342 . Duggan, Niall. 2020. “China—The Champion of the Developing World: A Study of China's new Development Model and its Role in Changing Global Economic Governance.” Politics & Policy 48(5): 836‐858. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12377

Bureaucracy · China · Foreign direct investment · Foreign policy · Legislation · Legitimation · National security · Securitization · Artificial Immune Systems Applications · Global Energy Security and Policy · Global Security and Public Health

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