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Kachin State mines, Panwa / Chipwi
Panwa, Myanmar25.87°N 98.14°E
computed criticality11/100
reading
≈50% of China's heavy rare earth supply before October 2024
2024Fault line
The first link in China's monopoly on heavies lies outside China, in a civil-war zone. The capture of the Panwa mining district by the Kachin Independence Army (October 2024) interrupted and then renegotiated the flows towards Ganzhou. A global chain worth several hundred billion dollars depends on informal deals between an insurgency and Chinese traders.
Actors
Local militias and concession-holders (Panwa)
Chinese traders (Tengchong, Yunnan)
Feeds 1
Chinese separation, Ganzhou & BaotouRare Earths↗Shocks endured
Kachin insurgents seize the Panwa minesOct 15, 2024 · epicentre↗Sources