How a Xinjiang Weed Could Reduce China’s Reliance on Southeast Asian Rubber China's dependence on imported rubber from Southeast Asia has left it vulnerable to fluctuations in global markets and trade tensions.
To mitigate this vulnerability, Beijing has invested in domestic production facilities and explored alternative feedstocks, including the rubber dandelion, a humble weed native to Xinjiang.
Researchers have successfully cultivated the rubber dandelion on a small test plot in Xinjiang, harvesting one tonne of dried roots that yielded 40kg of natural rubber.