Europa, en su intento de reducir su dependencia de China, corre el riesgo de financiar proyectos de tierras raras que acaben abasteciendo a terceros países. Jakob Hensing, 'research fellow' en el Global Public Policy Institute, y Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, catedrático de Ciencia Política en CERI Sciences Po, sostienen que la UE debe dejar claro a sus socios que esos proyectos "son una cuestión de interés vital" para el continente, sin llegar a adoptar "el enfoque despiadado de la Administración Trump".

In its effort to reduce its dependence on China, Europe runs the risk of financing mining and projects that ultimately supply third countries. Jakob Hensing, Head of Political Economy at the Global Public Policy Institute, and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, Full Professor of Political Science at CERI Sciences Po, argue that the EU must make it clear to its partners that these projects "are a matter of vital interest" to the continent, without going so far as to adopt the "callous approach of the Trump administration."