February 4, 2026, Washington Dc, Virginia, USA: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a news conference during the first Critical Minerals Ministerial at the State Department's Harry S. Truman Building in Washington, DC, USA, on February 04, 2026. About 50 countries attended the ministerial, a gathering to discuss the creation of tech supply chain partnerships that can bypass China. The United leer más States has been looking for alternative sources for rare earth minerals since Beijing cut the U.S. off from its supply last year. leer menos