China has stepped up efforts to consolidate its monopoly over rare earth metals to counter the United States move to form an international alliance with over 50 nations, including India, to secure the supply chains of the precious metals to reduce reliance on Beijing. Early this week, Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Ganzhou in Jiangxi province, one of the world's largest production bases for heavy rare earth elements, a strategic resource essential to a range of hi-tech industries, where he called for China to consolidate its lead in industries like rare earths, over which it has a strategic edge over Washington.