If there is one thing clear from Trump's first weeks in the White House, it is that the man relishes conflict. Political opponents, federal judges, trade partners, steadfast allies - it doesn't matter. If there is a conflict to be had, Trump will seek it out.
So far, China has been spared from his outbursts. This won't last for long.
As we've seen in the past, when presented with conflict, the Chinese government has not hesitated to cut exports of strategically important metals. Most recently, in 2010 the Chinese government shut down rare earth exports to Japan virtually overnight - due to a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
There is nothing stopping them from employing the same tactics against the United States as soon as Trump starts acting belligerently towards China. Particularly as Trump tries to coax America into a manufacturing renaissance, there would be no better retribution