China Accuses Foreign Agencies of 'Stealing' Rare Minerals

SadaNews Economy - The Chinese Ministry of State Security said on Friday that foreign intelligence agencies attempted to 'steal' rare minerals and pledged to take strict measures against infiltration and espionage activities targeting the vital mining sector.

The ministry stated in a notice on its account on the WeChat app that foreign intelligence agencies and their agents collaborated with 'local lawbreakers' to steal materials related to rare minerals from China, posing a serious threat to Chinese national security, without naming any specific countries, according to Reuters.

The ministry clarified that it had detected attempts by an unnamed country to bypass export restrictions by forging shipping data and re-shipping goods so that products are redirected to third countries before reaching their final destination.

This month, Reuters exclusively reported that unusually large quantities of antimony, a metal used in batteries, chips, and other products, appeared to have been shipped to the United States via Thailand and Mexico after China banned exports to the U.S.

China added several rare minerals and related magnets to its export restriction list in early April in response to U.S. tariffs.

This decision led to disruptions in major global supply chains for electric vehicles, robotics, and defense, forcing some car manufacturers outside of China to partially suspend production due to shortages.

However, China's exports of rare minerals increased by 32 percent in June compared to the previous month, potentially indicating that later agreements reached between Washington and Beijing to support the flow of minerals are yielding results.