Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong at a regular press conference in Beijing Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

China has been accelerating the approval process of rare-earth export licenses in line with laws and regulations, and it has approved a number of compliant applications, and will continue to strengthen the approval process for compliant applications, a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Thursday at a press briefing. 

MOFCOM spokesperson He Yadong made the remarks in response to a question about an EU official having expressed wishes that China can resolve the issue around rare earths before a meeting between Chinese and European leaders in July, as well as the details on the progress concerning rare-earth license approvals for EU firms.

China has always attached great importance to ensuring the stability and security of global industrial and supply chains, He said. 

"China stands ready to further enhance communication with relevant countries on export controls, actively facilitating convenient and compliant trade flows," He noted. 

"The country takes a responsible approach to the regulation of rare-earth exports, aiming to meet civilian demand for global development while trying to prevent rare earths from being used for military purposes and causing security issues. The stringent regulation needs to cover specific companies, end-users and the exact export volume. All these require time and due procedures," Wu Chenhui, an independent analyst who closely follows the critical minerals industry, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Being widely used in strategic sectors such as lasers, radar, new energy, and aerospace, rare earths are a critical resource with both military and civilian applications.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stressed at a routine press conference on June 18 that China has always acted in a responsible and non-discriminatory way by taking into full consideration other countries' legitimate needs for civilian use and their concerns and reviewing export license applications in accordance with laws and regulations. 

Given the dual-use nature of rare earth-related items, China has taken relevant measures in accordance with the regulations on export control of dual-use items, which is consistent with international practices and does not target any specific country, Guo said.   

China's exports of rare earths in May increased by 23 percent from April to 5,864.60 tons, with total exports from January to May growing by 2.3 percent year-on-year to 24,827 tons, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on June 9.

A MOFCOM statement released on June 7 showed that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said that China is willing to establish a green channel for eligible applications to accelerate approvals for rare-earth exports, while instructing working-level teams to maintain timely communication, during a meeting with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic in Paris on June 3.

Global Times