Tech wars: Why has China banned exports of rare minerals to US?

The two countries have imposed tit-for-tat export restrictions for months to hamper technological and AI development.

China has banned the export of rare but critical earth minerals used in the manufacture of important semiconductors to the United States in the latest move in an ongoing tech war between the two superpowers.

Beijing’s announcement on Tuesday came just one day after the US ramped up restrictions on the export of advanced chips to China, which affects the country’s ability to develop advanced weapons systems and artificial intelligence.

So why is a “tech war” brewing between China and the US, and why does it matter?

For months, the two countries have been involved in tit-for-tat export restrictions. The US hopes to cripple China’s military and artificial intelligence (AI) advances as well as hamper its ambitions to become a global leader in clean energy and other technologies.

The trade war is affecting global supply chains for chip and semiconductor manufacturers and pushing prices up.