Congressman John Moolenaar is doing what every patriotic American should be doing—standing up to the Chinese Communist Party and putting our country first. On September 18, the Michigan lawmaker sent a strong message to President Donald Trump: it’s time to hit Beijing where it hurts. If China wants to play games with our defense and industry by choking off rare earth supplies, then they shouldn’t get to enjoy landing rights on our soil or access to our aircraft industry.
For too long, the Chinese regime has weaponized its control over rare earth minerals—materials that are essential for our military, our cars, and our technology. These minerals are used in everything from fighter jets and missile systems to smartphones and electric vehicles. The Chinese Communist Party knows exactly what it’s doing. They’re not just holding back these supplies by accident. They are using these exports as a tool to punish the United States and our allies.
This is not new behavior from the CCP. They’ve done it before, and they’ll keep doing it unless we push back. That’s exactly what Congressman Moolenaar is demanding. He wants President Trump to suspend Chinese airline landing rights in the U.S. and block China’s access to American-made aircraft, parts, and maintenance services. And he’s absolutely right.
Why should we allow Chinese airlines to land in our country while their government is trying to strangle our defense industry? Why should U.S. companies sell planes and parts to China when they’re actively cutting off the materials we need to build our own?
The Chinese government began restricting rare earth exports earlier this year through new licensing rules. These rules caused shipments to plummet to their lowest point in five years. That’s not just a supply chain issue—it’s a national security threat. China knows that if they can control the flow of rare earths, they can control the pace of our defense projects and critical manufacturing.
This had real consequences. European carmakers had to shut down factories. Defense contractors had to hold off on production. American industry is feeling the pain. And even though China has said they’re easing some of the restrictions, the supply chains remain shaky. Small and medium-sized businesses in Europe are still reporting serious disruptions.
The bottom line is this: we can’t rely on the Chinese Communist Party. They will always do what’s best for their regime, not what’s fair or right. That’s why Congressman Moolenaar’s proposal makes sense. He’s calling for the U.S. and our allies—through groups like the G7, the Quad, and NATO—to form a united front. If China wants to cut off our access to rare earths, then we cut off their access to our airports and our aviation market.
This isn’t about starting a trade war. It’s about standing up for American sovereignty and protecting our national security. We cannot allow a foreign power—especially a hostile one like China—to hold the keys to our defense capabilities.
President Trump knows how to deal with China. He’s proven before that he’s not afraid to slap tariffs, enforce trade deals, and bring supply chains back home. Now, he has an opportunity to go even further by sending a clear and powerful message: America will not be bullied.
We need to bring rare earth production back to the United States. We need to support American mining, American manufacturing, and American workers. And we must never again be dependent on a hostile regime for something so critical to our national defense.
Congressman Moolenaar’s letter is a wake-up call. It’s time to put America first, protect our industries, and make sure that no foreign government can ever hold our future in their hands. The era of weakness is over. The era of strength is back.
