Tonight, President Trump launched a new national security investigation that could lead to tariffs over critical minerals,

the vast majority of which are processed by China.

The president's announcement comes after Beijing restricted exports of those minerals,

which are essential for everything from cell phones to fighter planes.

Nick Schiffrin reports that the trade wars are playing out as Chinese leaders Xi Jinping

is touring Southeast Asia, portraying Beijing as the region's most reliable partner.

In Vietnam, they brought the pomp and circumstance to welcome Xi Jinping, and two communist

leaders walk the red carpet so Beijing could portray itself as a benevolent source of regional

stability.

China will insist on joining hands rather than throwing punches, tearing down walls instead

of building barriers, connecting instead

of decoupling.

Xi's Southeast Asia tour was pre-planned, but he's using it to confront the U.S.

for what Beijing calls an irresponsible trade war and recent sanctions on Hong Kong,

China's top official there said today.

The repeated attempts of the U.S. to contain and suppress Hong Kong will backfire and harm itself.

And those peasants from the U.S. will soon be crying tears in front of China's 5,000 years of civilization.

That confrontation of the U.S. now extends to critical minerals.

Beijing is restricting the export of rare earths and magnets that are almost entirely refined

by China.

Those minerals vital for everything from the U.S. military's most advanced fighter jets,

and missiles to every single cell phone, an electric vehicle on the planet.

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