Rare earth elements sit at the heart of the clean energy transition, digital infrastructure, and advanced weapons, yet public debate often treats them as mysterious and easily weaponized. China dominates the processing and magnet making stages that turn raw ore into strategic inputs, which fuels concern in Washington, Brussels, Tokyo, and elsewhere about overdependence on a single supplier. On December 4, Wikistrat hosted critical minerals expert Dr. Marina (Yue) Zhang to examine how China built this position, what it really means for energy security and defense, and how the rare earths market could evolve over the next years