Germany plans to strengthen its armed forces, but China's dependence on raw materials threatens its rearmament plans.

The German chancellor plans to transform the country's military into the most powerful conventional force in Europe, committing hundreds of billions of euros to defense by 2029. However, this rearmament relies on a critical dependence on rare minerals, most of which come from China. Germany imports 95% of the strategic raw materials it needs, and China controls much of the processing of these resources, which could stymie Berlin's defense industrial plans.