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China’s rare earth tech obsession ensnares US resident as CCP looks to maintain stranglehold
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China’s bid to strangle the world’s supply of heavy rare-earth elements was about to hit a wall. Vietnamese entrepreneur Luu Anh Tuan had lined up U.S. backing for a technology that could break Beijing’s chokehold on the critical minerals behind everything from smartphones to missile-guidance systems.
Tuan and his family had fled Vietnam for the U.S. to escape Beijing’s tightening grip over Hanoi, where the Chinese Communist Party exerts a heavy influence on domestic governance.
In July 2023, he signed a technology transfer agreement, seen by Fox News Digital, to bring the heavy rare earth separation technology he was using at his Vietnam-based company, Vietnam Rare Earth (VTRE) to VTRU Corporation, a company registered in Nevada. VTRE had also signed a series of memoranda of understanding (MOU) agreements with Western companies.
«He had a bad sense of insecurity about being in Vietnam. He was determined to transfer his technology to the US as quickly as possible,» a source familiar with the rare earth industry, granted anonymity to speak without fear of retribution, told Fox News Digital.
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Luu Anh Tuan, chairman of mining company VTRE in his Hanoi office with samples of rare earth oxides in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 7, 2023. (Reuters )
At the time, the world was entirely dependent on Chinese companies to separate their heavy rare earth metals.
«China has been really working for the better part of over 20 years now on building this dominance,» Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in an interview.
And while companies like U.S.-based MP Materials and Australia-based Lynas are in the process of developing their own separation technologies, China still controls up to 90% of the rare earths separation and refining capacity and over half of mining output.
In October 2023, Tuan, then a U.S. permanent resident and green card holder in the process of becoming a citizen, was back in his Hanoi office when Vietnamese authorities raided the building, seizing all laptops and records. Seventeen employees were arrested, according to Tuan’s American business partner, Richard Dunham, and all but one, Do Hanh Huong, Tuan’s sister-in-law and COO of VTRE, have since been released.
The arrest came shortly after President Joe Biden visited Vietnam and signed cooperation agreements on rare earth minerals.
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In December, China banned rare earth extraction and separation, in what the industry saw as another effort to maintain its monopoly on the market.
«When China put in these restrictions, it really made countries like the U.S. and Australia realize that they didn’t actually even have the technical know-how to do it themselves,» said Baskaran.
«The process itself is just very labor-intensive and very toxic,» said Josh Birenbaum, a minerals expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, adding China cornered the market through state subsidies and lax environmental concerns.
While the U.S. has one major rare earths mine, MP Materials’ Mountain Pass, until this year, the company was exporting those rare earths to China for separation. The trade war and export controls that followed prompted the U.S. to stockpile its rare earths until separation capacity was up to scale at home.
Tuan was accused of forging a value-added tax receipt while trading rare earths with Thai Duong Group, which operates a mine in the northern Vietnamese province of Yen Bai.
Xenotime ore (Getty Images )
VTRE had partnered with Australian mining companies Australian Strategic Materials and Blackstone Minerals Ltd. Tuan and Dunham had also met with officials from the state of Nevada and the Department of Energy to discuss plans to bring the separation technology to the U.S. through VTRE. Both were «enthusiastic» about the proposal, which ultimately led to the signing of the transfer agreement, according to Dunham.
The arrest also came as Vietnam prepared to auction the Dong Pao mine. VTRE, backed by Western partners, was the only qualified bidder, according to Dunham.
This year, Tuan pleaded guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. He’ll spend 16 years in prison with a fine of $10 million, but his advocates say he was «coerced.» Huong was sentenced to six years in prison.
«We believe these charges to be manipulated, charges that were founded by Vietnamese state actors who have realigned themselves with China,» said Dunham. «He was tortured to obtain a guilty plea.»
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Fox News Digital could not independently verify this claim. The State Department documents credible reports of arbitrary arrests, torture and inhumane treatment by authorities, affecting both political detainees and others in custody. Medical neglect and forced confessions are frequently reported.
Tuan’s advocates say the company he was purchasing ore from, Thai Duong, refused to provide invoices at the actual rate VTRE was paying for ore. It only provided invoices that claimed it was selling ore at a lower rate, reducing its taxable income.
According to Dunham, Thai Duong refused to issue invoices reflecting the actual sale price to VTRE, allegedly to avoid environmental, natural resource and corporate income taxes, obligations that fell on Thai Duong, not Tuan.
Tuan was faced with a choice: accept the lower-rate invoices and make up the tax discrepancies with his own money or allow his state-funded minerals project, and in turn, his business, to collapse, per Dunham.
Though Tuan was convicted on criminal charges, Dunham said the violation of accounting regulations lacks evidence of criminal intent.
«Even if he were guilty of an accounting issue, it’s not something that is criminally liable for what they’re trying to do. No place in Vietnam has there ever been an issue with this type of sentencing. It’s totally unheard of. Typically you would pay a fine and that’s it.»
«He is the only individual outside of China that has a fully integrated rare earth company that’s from mining to metallization; in other words, from digging it out of the ground to the manufacturing of magnets.»
China dominates the global rare earths market. (Reuters)
Tuan was also convicted of smuggling rare earth materials, but customs documents show clearance of 63 shipments of heavy rare earth oxide mixtures under tax code 2846, which corresponds to rare earth compounds. The court misclassified the exports under tax code 2530 (raw ore), to falsely claim they were illegal, according to Dunham.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security’s investigation concluded that customs officers who signed the 63 export declarations for VTRE verified Tuan’s compliance.
China’s crackdown since then has only accelerated. Minerals experts have been ordered to surrender their passports to prevent them from sharing any technology outside the country. Beijing has tightened controls on exports of rare earths, prompting major concerns from within the U.S. defense industry. While China allowed them to flow again during trade negotiations with the Trump administration, they remain banned for defense purposes.
According to Dunham, VTRE has developed the technology to produce heavy rare earth oxides from xenotime, monazite and ion-absorption clay at a purity of 95% through a solvent extraction system. The technology was capable of processing diverse ore types and recycling NdFeB magnets.
Requests for assistance from the U.S. government have not been fruitful, according to Tuan’s advocates.
Tuan is essentially cut off from his family and lawyers. He’s seen family members around five times since his arrest nearly two years ago.
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«We are deeply concerned about his physical and mental well-being,» the source said. «He is mentally resilient. He continues to believe the truth will eventually come to light.»
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House, State Department, Chinese Embassy and Vietnamese Embassy for comment.
china,tech,defense,geopolitics,politics,asia world regions
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DNC staffers ruthlessly mocked for fuming over remote work reversal: ‘Get yourselves together’
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Democratic National Committee employees were mercilessly mocked this week after news came out that staffers were very unhappy with a recent directive from DNC Chairman Ken Martin end to remote work for employees who will now be required to show up to the office five days a week.
Leadership of the union representing DNC employees put out a statement following news of the new directive, describing it as «callous.» Reports from those on the staff-wide call also described an immediate flurry of thumbs-down emojis and other signs of anger upon news of the new requirement.
«It was shocking to see the DNC chair disregard staff’s valid concerns on today’s team call,» they wrote. «D.N.C. staff worked extremely hard to support historic wins for Democrats up and down the ballot last Tuesday, and this change feels especially callous considering the current economic conditions created by the Trump administration.» Martin reportedly told employees that if they don’t like the new policy, they should go find a job elsewhere.
And Martin wasn’t the only Democrat who had some harsh and pointed words for the Democratic Party staffers. Neera Tanden, former President Joe Biden’s domestic policy advisor, had a similar message for DNC staffers, suggesting there were many eager folks waiting in line who would likely be more than willing to go into the office.
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Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin speaking from the DNC’s home studio. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«If you think democracy is on the line – working in the office is not a big ask,» Tanden wrote in a post on X. «And there are plenty of other people willing to step up. Get yourselves together people.»
A left-wing group, the Center for New Liberalism, echoed the view that the staffers «should look elsewhere» if working from home is a «must-have.»
«When you accept a job on a campaign, or with an org like the DNC, DCCC, etc, your single purpose is to win the election. It is a demanding job that requires long hours & sacrifices,» the group wrote on X. «The other part of this is that I suspect [work from home] staff are probably losing opportunities for themselves by not being in the office. Campaigns require a lot of personal sacrifice, but the people who are good at their job and work to make themselves noticed in the office usually tend to go on to do big things!»
One Florida-based Democratic strategist, Steve Schale, who led Barack Obama’s statewide efforts in Florida in 2008 and returned to help his campaign in 2012, said the DNC should implement a «requirement» to ensure those who want to work at the DNC really have what it takes.
«There should be a requirement that to work at the DNC that you’ve done at least two cycles on an actual battleground campaign, where terms like flex hours & hybrid work don’t exist,» Schale wrote on X.
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A man is seen walking in front of the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters located in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Republicans did not spare the opportunity to slam Democratic Party staffers as well.
«You can’t make this up — the DNC union is pissed that the Chairman is calling staff back into the office 5 days a week,» former Trump White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said after learning of the anger. GOP strategist, Matt Gorman, quipped that the image of DNC staffers logging onto a Zoom call in their pajamas amid all the chaos of Biden’s reelection «is hilarious.»
«The best part is that they still get two full months before they actually have to get out of bed 5 days week,» GOP National Press Secretary Kiersten Pels said. «Is this a political committee or a daycare?»
Martin reportedly told his employees that the work-from-home policy the DNC implemented during COVID was never meant to be permanent, describing it as a «Band-Aid» that has long needed to be ripped off. He did say that remote work would still be allowed on a case-by-case basis, however.
Neera Tanden, one of former President Joe Biden’s top advisors in the White House, was among those Democrats who slammed DNC staffers for being upset of having to go back into the office full-time, as opposed to remote work. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
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The staffer’s union said it is considering all options in terms of challenging the measure. The group previously ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the DNC over the summer that «reaffirms its commitment to making hybrid work available,» but also includes language that allows for a full return to in-person working as long as there is a 60-day notice period, according to the New York Times.
Earlier this year, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association sent a letter to top House and Senate leaders proposing a rotating 32-hour work week for congressional staffers, arguing it would be a more «sustainable approach to work on a national level.»
The proposal was widely mocked, however.
«Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek?» quipped Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., at the time. «I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek.»
democratic party,politics,democrats elections,health work,tech,topics
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Persecución en Cuba: la dictadura acusó a un medio digital independiente de “tráfico de divisas” y “evasión fiscal”
El primer ministro de la dictadura de Cuba, Manuel Marrero, acusó este jueves al medio digital no oficial El Toque de tráfico de divisas y evasión fiscal, en el contexto de un creciente enfrentamiento con la prensa independiente. La denuncia se realizó en redes sociales y siguió a la emisión, el miércoles por la noche, de un documental en la televisión estatal que acusa al medio —con sede en Miami— de recibir fondos de Estados Unidos y de buscar la desestabilización del país.
En medio de la campaña oficial contra El Toque, Marrero aseguró: “Se trata de un programa integral de guerra económica organizado, financiado y ejecutado directamente por el gobierno de EEUU”.
Las autoridades cubanas han intensificado las críticas contra El Toque, conocido por publicar diariamente la tasa de cambio del mercado informal, muy distinta a la establecida oficialmente por el régimen cubano y utilizada como referencia mayoritaria para operaciones monetarias en la isla. Según Marrero, la tasa de cambio informada por El Toque es “una farsa” y el resultado de “una burda manipulación”, declaraciones recogidas durante esta ofensiva mediática.
Mientras tanto, los medios del régimen enlazaron la acusación de Marrero con críticas al funcionamiento del propio sitio, al que señalaron de “mercenarismo”, “enriquecimiento ilícito”, “manipulación cambiaria” y de operar “en contra del bienestar del pueblo”. La controversia surge en un contexto en el que la tasa oficial, instaurada en 2022, es de 1 dólar estadounidense (USD) por 24 pesos cubanos (CUP) para entidades jurídicas y de 1 USD por 120 CUP para personas físicas, mientras que El Toque posicionó este jueves el cambio en 1 USD por 460 CUP.
La información publicada por El Toque se ha vuelto central en la vida cotidiana de los cubanos, ya que la mayoría de las transacciones informales en la isla toman como base la cotización de este medio.
La coexistencia de tres tasas de cambio provoca severas distorsiones en la economía local, dificultando la lucha contra la inflación, el descenso del poder adquisitivo, el proceso de dolarización, las carencias de productos básicos, el déficit y la descapitalización de los bancos estatales. Según expertos citados por EFE, esta situación sin precedentes convive con una crisis sistémica que afecta al país desde hace más de un lustro, sin señales claras de recuperación a corto o mediano plazo.
El régimen cubano ha anunciado en varias ocasiones, la última vez hacia finales de 2023, la intención de introducir reformas para corregir las distorsiones cambiarias. Entre ellas, la introducción de una tasa de cambio “flotante” para la segunda mitad de 2024. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha, ni el modelo ni la implementación han sido esclarecidos públicamente. Ante la escasez crónica de divisas, el Estado aceleró la dolarización parcial de la economía abriendo decenas de tiendas que sólo aceptan moneda extranjera y habilitando el cobro en divisas de diversos servicios estatales, prácticas justificadas por la necesidad de recapitalizar el país que importa el 80% de lo que consume.
Frente a los señalamientos, El Toque ha negado en múltiples ocasiones toda acusación oficial, argumentando que su tasa de referencia surge de un algoritmo que recopila anuncios de compraventa de divisas en foros y redes sociales, filtrando valores anómalos bajo supervisión del economista Pavel Vidal. Varios especialistas cubanos, consultados por EFE, admitieron la confiabilidad relativa del método, aunque reconocen que se basa en ofertas y no en transacciones reales, y utiliza la mediana como parámetro, no la moda.
La presión sobre El Toque ha resultado en campañas oficiales contra su personal e incluso provocó la emigración de una gran parte de sus periodistas, luego de ser interrogados por la Seguridad del Estado.
Este clima se ha visto reforzado por la reciente acusación de “espionaje” y “corrupción” contra Alejandro Gil, ex ministro de Economía cercano al presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel, reviviendo el debate sobre las purgas políticas al más alto nivel. Gil, de 61 años, permanece fuera de la vida pública. La reacción oficialista ha sido comparada con anteriores expulsiones repentinas de figuras clave dentro del Estado cubano, como las de Felipe Pérez Roque y Carlos Lage en 2009, o el fusilamiento del general Arnaldo Ochoa en 1989 tras un proceso judicial por narcotráfico, hechos que han marcado la historia política reciente del país.
(Con información de AFP y EFE)
South America / Central America
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