Its new deal with Vietnam and its fresh tariff threats issued to many other countries seem designed to reduce China’s role in their supply chain. Countries that had hoped to stay out of the new cold war now fear they are being forced to pick a side. To appease the world’s biggest market, they must anger the world’s biggest trader.

The trade truce between Washington and Beijing may be holding for now, but China is increasingly wary about what’s happening elsewhere: US efforts to forge deals that could isolate Chinese firms from global supply chains.

China confirmed that it had agreed with the U.S. to approve the accelerated export of rare earths after President Donald Trump said he had signed a trade deal with Beijing, and said Washington will also lift some of its export restrictions on Beijing in return.