The Electric

The Electric: China's Next Targets for Domination—Robots, Rockets and Low-Orbit Satellites

Drone assembly at United Aircraft Group in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, home to about 1,700 drone industry companies. Photo: Li An/Xinhua/Getty.
By
Steve LeVine

China’s dominance of the rare earth metals business—with a chokehold on Western militaries and key industries—has become a key geopolitical issue. Chinese companies make most of the parts that go into the world’s military drones and sell 70% of the commercial drones.