At the center of the latest trade storm between the U.S. and China is He Lifeng. Since He became vice premier in early 2023, China's leader Xi Jinping has essentially put him in charge of fortifying the nation’s economy against the effects of U.

Last month, President Donald Trump said the United States needed Greenland “very badly,” renewing his threat to annex the Danish territory. Greenland is a resource-rich island with a plentiful supply of critical minerals, a category that also includes rare earths elements, under its ice sheet. Trump also signed a “ rare earth deal ” with Ukraine.