A Chinese-backed militia is protecting new rare earth mines in eastern Myanmar, according to four people familiar with the matter, as Beijing moves to secure control of the minerals it is wielding as a bargaining chip in its trade war with Washington.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that China will make it easier for American industry to obtain much-needed needed magnets and rare earth minerals, clearing the way for talks to continue between the world’s two biggest economies.

Reportedly Beijing is only offering a concession that it had already offered a month ago to lift the blockade on shipments of rare earth minerals. The current deal may be a short-term solution for a much larger,