The Ministry of Commerce of China File photo: VCG

China and the US will maintain communication on their respective concerns through the economic and trade consultation mechanism, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said on Thursday.

The remarks were made at a regular press conference on Thursday when He Yadong, the MOFCOM spokesperson, was asked by foreign reporters to comment on reports that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would engage with Beijing in working-level dialogues. He was also asked whether there are any plans or discussions to further extend the rare-earth export control measures beyond October 9.

The spokesperson said that, according to the consensus reached during the China-US economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, the relevant export control measures announced by the Chinese side on October 9, 2025, have been suspended until November 10, 2026.

Also at Thursday's regular press conference, another foreign reporter asked for comment on reports that Greer claimed that the US currently has access to Chinese rare earths but is still promoting multilateral agreements to increase expected supply, and on whether the US should be concerned that China might reimpose restrictions on rare-earth exports to the US.

In responding to the inquiries, He said that China is always committed to maintaining the security and stability of the global industrial supply.

On a further note, the spokesperson said that China fully takes into account the reasonable demands and concerns of the global civilian sector, including that of the US, and actively facilitates compliant trade. Export applications meeting the conditions for legitimate civilian use will be approved in accordance with the law, said He.

China has continuously maintained communication with the US on rare-earth issues, demonstrating its consistent stance of resolving trade matters through dialogue, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Thursday.

It also reflects China's efforts as a responsible major country to ensure the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, said Zhou.

China has consistently adhered to the principles of openness, coordination, and shared benefits in promoting the development of the rare-earth industry. This approach not only meets the needs of domestic economic and social development but also actively expands global partnerships, making an important contribution to global rare-earth supply and the advancement of the world economy, the expert stressed. 

On Wednesday, in responding to a similar question from a foreign reporter on China-US trade of rare earths, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China-US economic and trade relations are essentially mutually beneficial and win-win in nature, noting that both sides should jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, so as to provide greater stability for bilateral economic and trade cooperation. 

Commenting on China and the US maintaining communication on their respective concerns through the economic and trade consultation mechanism, Gao Lingyun, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that it is always positive for the world's two largest economies to sit down and discuss relevant trade issues through dialogues and consultations as healthy economic and trade relations benefit not only the two countries but also the world.