April 13, 2026 | 7:00 pm till 8:30 pm | Bonn Adult Education Center, Mühlheimerplatz 1, 53111 Bonn, Germany, or via ZOOM

Hybrid event

As part of the bilateral trade and customs conflict between the US and the PRC, Beijing stopped the export of critical raw materials, especially rare earths, in April 2025 and made it subject to a new approval process and political requirements. While China has resumed deliveries of rare earths to the US for at least one year, this does not automatically apply to the EU, which must continue to negotiate with Beijing. However, China's requirements for European companies to resume raw material deliveries pose a threat to both the European civilian economy and Europe's future defense capabilities. At the same time, this raw materials conflict and the existential dependence on imports from China are not really new, but politicians and business leaders must face accusations of complacency, strategic misjudgments, and a lack of strategic thinking.

The event is being organised by the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) in cooperation with the Gesellschaft für Sicherheitspolitik Sektion Bonn (GSP), the Industrie- und Handelskammer Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, and the Volkshochschule Bonn.

Participation in the event in person is only possible with registration.

Online participation is possible at any time.

Lecture:

Dr. Frank Umbach 

Head of Research, European Cluster for Climate, Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS) at the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS)

Afterwards there will be room for questions.