[GeronL]

Assuming China doesn’t take control of them

[SC Swamp Fox]

Assuming China doesn’t take control of them

I don't think that will be a problem.

"The deposits are in international waters in an area stretching east and west of Hawaii, as well as east of Tahiti in French Polynesia, he said."

[Captain Beyond]

That is the scary part. If China made a move to mine them I don't believe the current US Administration would do anything to stop them or for that matter plan for our own excavation of the rare earths. It would fall under the PC category of raping mother earth for evil profit and empire building. I am sure the Avatar-Eco crowd would be building flotillas to guard them if we decided to mine them.