As rare earths become more and more important in modern industrial production and life, how to better protect rare earth resources has become a problem that we have to consider.
Recently, China's newly announced "Rare Earth Management Regulations" has attracted widespread attention from the outside world, and foreign media are worried that "China will restrict rare earth exports because of this", and Bloomberg also deliberately emphasized that "this is China's first comprehensive regulation to manage rare earth mining, smelting and circulation", suggesting that the signal is not ordinary.
Rare earth resources
But in fact, this is just a way for us to manage and protect our own rare earth resources, not specifically for a certain country, the reason why some people in the United States and the West are nervous about this is nothing more than two reasons: one is because their own rare earth resources are not so rich, or the smelting and processing technology is not as mature as China, so it is very dependent on China's rare earth resources.
Second, because the United States and Western countries wield the big stick of sanctions at every turn, they are also worried that China will "respond in reciprocity" because they have an advantage in the areas where they have an advantage.
For example, recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo met with officials from Japan and South Korea, trying to win over allies to strengthen China's chip export controls, but the United States, Japan and South Korea ultimately failed to reach a complete agreement on this matter, because Japan was worried about "being countered by China".
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo
If you are so worried about being countered, why do you spare no effort to contain China in the high-tech field? The so-called set of "rules" of the United States and the West is actually the logic of hegemony that only allows itself to sanction other countries, and at the same time requires the other side to "fight back and scold and not retaliate".
Besides, now that China has already stood up, we have the right to pursue development, and we have the ability to defend our own dignity, and it is no longer realistic for the United States to want to deal with China based on the so-called "strength and status", and we have enough strength to defend our national security, not only at the military level, but also at the scientific and technological level.
Taking "rare earth" as an example, because of the rich elements it contains, it is rich in "industrial gold", which can be widely used in electronics, energy, aerospace materials, machinery and equipment and even the nuclear industry after processing, and has extremely high scientific and military value.
Rare earth product ferrodysprosium
China's total rare earths account for about 1/3 of the world's total, and the supply accounts for more than 90% of the world's total, of which the main suppliers are the United States and European countries, for example, 98% of the EU's imported rare earths come from China. However, while relying on rare earth resources imported from China to develop industry and technology, the EU is advocating reducing its "dependence on China".
It has even used this as an excuse to follow the United States in putting joint pressure on China in the field of emerging technologies, including the establishment of a "critical minerals alliance" in an attempt to exclude China from the supply chain. In the field of electric vehicles, for example, the European Union joined the United States in announcing tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China.
To put it bluntly, the United States and the West only want to put themselves in the field of high-end supply chains, and only allow China to stay at the low end. But facts have proved that we are competitive enough, and the more the United States blockades and suppresses, the more self-reliant we will be, and we will not only be able to catch up, but even open up a new track.
U.S. President Joe Biden
In some areas where China itself has an advantage, we can naturally take all reasonable measures according to our own interests, the "Regulations" issued this time clearly stipulate that rare earths are owned by the state, and will implement protective mining of rare earth resources, in addition, other organizations and individuals shall not be allowed to mine and smelt and separate rare earths without authorization, and the regulations will be officially implemented since October 1.
In fact, this is tantamount to completely blocking the delusion of some external forces trying to obtain rare earths and even rare earth processing technology from China through unofficial channels. In December last year, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the mainland jointly issued the "Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted by China", which clearly stipulated that "rare earth refining, processing and utilization technology" was prohibited from export.
Since then, Malaysia, which has a relatively good relationship with China, has planned to send ministerial-level officials to visit China, wanting to seek to import rare earth processing technology from China to develop its own mineral deposits worth about 1.5 trillion yuan.
Rare earth concentrate shipped from Australia to Malaysia
A set of mature rare earth processing technology, Malaysia wants, the United States naturally wants it, in the end to give it or not? The decision is in our hands. Rare earth resources are related to the country's strategic security, and whoever masters the core technology will have the initiative. Especially in the context of the increasingly fierce game between China and the United States, rare earth is undoubtedly a "trump card" in our hands.