I believe the US has significant deposits as well. But its one thing having deposits and another to have the manufacturing capacity to refine it. Because the cost of labour is cheaper in china the “west” decided to import it from there. It also has the added benefit for the west of exporting environmental concern and to have a boggey man to point to when it comes to implementing green energy. ("Look we can implent what we can, but as long China is being a polluter, it doesn’t matter anyway)