Rare earth regulations legitimate and justified

The rare earth regulations freshly unveiled by Beijing that are due to come into effect on Oct 1 stipulate that attention will be paid to the protection of the resources, while the high-quality development of the rare earth industry will be promoted.

While China is rich in rare earth resources, its share in the world's total is too heavy a burden for it to bear. It accounted for over 70 percent of the world's rare earth production in 2022. China has paid a costly price for the world's reliance on its rare earth resources, as the old mining processes resulted in heavy pollution. In other words, it was developed countries that made profits from advanced electronics and other industries while China paid the cost of pollution.

The new regulations encourage the research, development and application of new technologies, new materials and new equipment, and specify punishment for illegal activities in areas including rare earth mining, smelting and extraction, product distribution, as well as unlawful imports and exports.

As early as 2011, the State Council released a guiding document on the healthy development of the rare earth industry, following which a series of standards and industrial regulations, including the control of germanium and gallium exports in August 2023 have been introduced to enhance the oversight of the industry. Now, with the new regulations that have been announced, the management of the nation's rare earth industry is being further strengthened.