Gallium and germanium are used in lots of electronic components. AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars used on modern warships and fighter airplanes can not be made without those metals. China produces some 95% of those available on the global market.
It will take one or two years until the currently available stocks outside of China are diminished. But it takes much longer to open up new mining and processing facilities for replacement of the Chinese production. The processes used therein are quite dirty. A not-in-my-backyard attitude will make any setup of new facilities difficult to pursue.
Yeah same, and it does look like that’s the plan. China is going to ensure that they have supply chains that are either domestic or sourced from friendly countries like Russia that China shares borders with. They’re going to keep investing into BRI and build out infrastructure in these countries exporting their tech there which will stimulate huge amounts of economic growth completely outside western control. This will also help countries become independent of the west cutting off western leeching. I also think that the west imploding would be the best thing for the world at this point.