President Trump’s pact with Australia on Monday on access to the country’s rare earth minerals was a sign of a U.S. hunt for new sources for the critical resources after China’s sharp restrictions on its supply.

特朗普总统周一与澳大利亚就获得该国稀土矿产达成协议，这表明在中国严格限制稀土供应后，美国正在为这种关键资源寻找新的来源。

The plan, which Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia said would generate projects worth up to $8.5 billion, comes after Mr. Trump said this month that it was “sinister and hostile” for China to tighten export controls on rare earth minerals.

特朗普和澳大利亚总理安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯表示，这项计划将催生价值可达85亿美元的项目。特朗普本月曾表示，中国收紧稀土矿产出口管制“阴险且充满敌意”。

Mr. Trump has made the acquisition of rare earth minerals, which are used to make products including motors, brakes, semiconductors and fighter jets, a centerpiece of his foreign policy strategy. Both the Trump and Biden administrations argued that increasing access to mineral-rich countries would be instrumental to becoming less dependent on China and strengthening global supply chains.

特朗普已将收购稀土作为其外交政策战略的核心。稀土用于制造汽车、刹车、半导体和战斗机等产品。特朗普政府和拜登政府都认为，增加对矿产资源丰富国的资源获取途径将有助于减少对中国的依赖，并加强全球供应链。

The deal would allow the United States access to Australia’s vast mineral resources, while Australia agreed to invest billions in U.S. defense companies, according to a White House summary of the agreement. But it is unclear how concrete the agreement is or how soon mineral supply to the United States could be ramped up.

根据白宫提供的摘要，该协议将允许美国获得澳大利亚丰富的矿产资源，而澳大利亚同意向美国国防公司投资数十亿美元。但协议的具体内容目前尚不清楚，多久才能增加对美国的矿产供应也尚不可知。

“In about a year from now, we’ll have so much critical minerals and rare earths that you won’t know what to do with them,” Mr. Trump said. “We’re really working on anything having to do with military, military protection, military ships, vehicles, guns, ammunition, everything.”

“大约一年后，我们将拥有太多关键矿物和稀土，多到都不知道该怎么处理它们，”特朗普说。“我们是真的在做军事、军事保护、军舰、车辆、枪、弹药等等一切的事。”

Under the terms of the deal, the United States and Australia intend to invest a total of $3 billion in critical mineral projects over the next six months, which is expected to result in projects worth around $53 billion, according to the White House. The Defense Department also agreed to invest in the construction of a new refinery in Australia that is expected to extract 100 tons per year of the critical mineral gallium.

根据协议条款，美国和澳大利亚打算在未来六个月内在关键矿产项目上投资总计30亿美元，据白宫称，预计将催生价值约530亿美元的项目。国防部还同意在澳大利亚投资建设一个新的精炼厂，预计每年可提炼100吨重要矿物镓。

The two leaders also agreed to build on a previous submarine deal between the two nations and Britain.

两位领导人还同意在两国和英国之前达成的潜艇协议的基础上进一步发展。

Mr. Albanese’s office described the minerals and security agreement as an “action plan” that “does not constitute or create any legally binding or enforceable obligations, express or implied.”

阿尔巴尼斯办公室将矿产和安全协议描述为一项“行动计划”，“不构成或产生任何明示或暗示的法律约束力或可强制执行的义务。”

That did not stop the leaders from projecting optimism over the partnership on Monday.

尽管如此，两国领导人仍在周一对这一伙伴关系表示乐观。

“Increasing the security for the region and our economic relationship is so important,” Mr. Albanese said. “Today’s agreement on critical minerals and rare earths is just taking it to the next level, seizing those opportunities which are before us.”

“加强地区安全和我们的经济关系非常重要，”阿尔巴尼斯说。“今天关于关键矿产和稀土的协议只是把它提升到一个新的水平，抓住摆在我们面前的机遇。”

The goal of accessing critical minerals has hung over various aspects of his foreign policy strategy, including his approach to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or his Africa strategy. Last month, the U.S. government pledged $75 million to invest in Ukraine’s mineral reserves, something Kyiv has framed as a way to lock in American support for their efforts to defend against Russia.

获取关键矿产的目标笼罩着特朗普外交战略的方方面面，包括他对俄罗斯入侵乌克兰的立场和他的非洲战略。上个月，美国政府承诺向乌克兰的矿产储备投资7500万美元，基辅将此视为锁定美国支持其抵御俄罗斯侵略的重要举措。

Mr. Trump earlier this year also talked about acquiring minerals in Greenland and Canada. The United States in recent years has also invested in a railway in Angola that will help the U.S. have access to critical minerals in central Africa.

今年早些时候，特朗普还谈到了收购格陵兰岛和加拿大的矿产。近年来，美国还在安哥拉投资了一条铁路，将帮助美国获得非洲中部重要的矿产资源。

Mr. Trump’s aides said the agreement with Australia would further that effort.

特朗普的助手表示，与澳大利亚的协议将进一步推动这一努力。

“Australia is really, really going to be helpful in the effort to take the global economy and make it less risky, less exposed to the kind of rare earth extortion that we’re seeing from the Chinese,” said Kevin Hassett, Mr. Trump’s National Economic Council director.

特朗普的国家经济委员会主任凯文·哈塞特说，“澳大利亚真的、真的会在帮助全球经济的努力中发挥作用，降低全球经济的风险，减少我们在中国身上看到的那种稀土敲诈勒索的风险。”

Mr. Trump also appeared to commit to the nuclear submarine pact known as AUKUS. The administration raised doubt over the future of the deal in June when the Pentagon announced it was reviewing the agreement.

特朗普似乎也承诺遵守被称为AUKUS的核潜艇协议。今年6月，当五角大楼宣布正在审查该协议时，政府曾对该协议的未来提出质疑。

Australia sees the acquisition of nuclear submarines as crucial to its national security as China has appeared more aggressive in the region.

由于中国在该地区显得更加咄咄逼人，澳大利亚认为购买核潜艇对其国家安全至关重要。

Nuclear-powered submarines can travel much farther without detection than conventional ones can. Mr. Trump appeared to dismiss aggression in the region on Monday, even though Australia on Monday said that a Chinese fighter jet released flares dangerously close to an Australian Air Force aircraft that was conducting patrols over the South China Sea.

核动力潜艇的隐蔽航行距离远超常规潜艇。澳大利亚周一称，一架中国战斗机在南海巡逻时危险接近澳大利亚空军飞机，并释放了干扰弹，但特朗普周一似乎淡化了中国在该地区的挑衅行为。

“I think China’s been very respectful to us,” Mr. Trump said while also noting that the submarine deal with Australia could help deter China in the Taiwan Strait.

“我认为中国对我们非常尊重，”特朗普说，同时他还指出，与澳大利亚的潜艇协议可能有助于在台湾海峡威慑中国。

Even as he signed the agreement with Australia, Mr. Trump appeared optimistic that he could repair relations with China. After Beijing tightened restrictions of rare earth exports, Mr. Trump said he would impose 100 percent tariff on all products from China.

即使在与澳大利亚签署协议时，特朗普似乎也对修复与中国的关系持乐观态度。此前在北京收紧稀土出口限制后，特朗普表示，他将对所有来自中国的产品加征100%的关税。

But on Monday, Mr. Trump said he believed he would secure a trade deal with the country on a trip to Asia this month, where he is expected to meet Xi Jinping, China’s leader.

但本周一特朗普表示，他相信本月亚洲之行将促成中美贸易协议，期间他预计将与中国国家主席习近平会晤。