Yes as someone once said "any publicity is good publicity" but...

Yes as someone once said "any publicity is good publicity" but some journalists really ought to have a basic understanding of their subject matter before they make a fool of themselves. As CJ and others have correctly pointed out Gallium and Germanium are not even close to being a "rare earth" (although Gallium in its pure state is a soft metal like most of the rare earths).

The curious thing is what China expects to gain from its trade restrictions. In the short term yes it can cause some pain for some of its trading partners and prove that China has the ability to throw its weight around but in the long term China must realise that other countries will soon find alternative sources and its trustworthiness takes a big hit every time they try this sort of thing.