Precious stones showcased to Trump, Pakistan hints at resource wealth to counter China
Washington (The Uttam Hindu): Pictures of the White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir had already made headlines around the world. Now, a new photo released by the White House has exposed Pakistan's entire strategy, which is sure to irritate its 'evergreen friend' China. In this photo, Pak Army Chief Asim Munir is showing President Trump a sample of Pakistan's rare earth minerals.
According to the media, a photo from a picture gallery released by the White House shows Shahbaz Sharif and Asim Munir showing President Trump a wooden box containing colorful stones. These stones are believed to be bastezite and monazite, which contain rare minerals like cerium and neodymium. This is a major effort by Pakistan to woo the US and establish itself as a reliable mineral supplier as an alternative to China. Pakistan has long boasted of its vast mineral wealth in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and now it wants to attract American investment using this "treasure."
This move by Pakistan directly harms China's interests. China has a near-control over the supply of rare earth minerals to the United States. Pakistan's cooperation with the United States in this area would challenge China's monopoly. This is also significant because China has already invested heavily in Balochistan through the CPEC project, and organizations like the Baloch Liberation Army are constantly targeting its projects and civilians. Therefore, allowing the United States access to this volatile region is considered a major strategic blow to China.
Pakistan is cultivating a rapprochement with the Trump administration not just through minerals, but also through cryptocurrency. According to reports, Bilal bin Saqib, an unofficial "crypto minister" from Pakistan, met with Trump's crypto advisor at the White House to encourage American businessmen (including those connected to the Trump family) to make money in Pakistan.
Interestingly, during this high-profile meeting, the Pakistani delegation also met Kash Patel, who is considered close to Trump, which indicates that deep discussions are going on between the two countries on issues of terrorism and security.