The significance and related impact of China's policy of restricting the export of rare earth technology

On December 19, Reuters reported that the United States had added 13 companies in China to a list of entities receiving US exports that officials could not inspect. The introduction of this list is an important measure of the United States to strengthen export control on Chinese enterprises. After the US took measures against Chinese enterprises, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the US issued a statement, saying that the US generalized the concept of national security, adopted discriminatory policies against specific Chinese enterprises, and politicized economic and trade issues. Just a day later, China announced it was halting exports of some rare earth technology. China's Ministry of Commerce has published a list of technologies, a document that shows bans or restrictions on the export of some technologies that mine and process rare earth elements and use them.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of rare earths. China has abundant rare earth resources, but it is also facing the dual pressure of the development and utilization of rare earth resources and the protection of the environment. In recent years, China has paid more and more attention to the distribution of rare earth resources, so it has taken relevant measures in export, including the implementation of a quota system for rare earth exports and the strengthening of rare earth export management. The purpose of these measures is to protect rare earth resources, prevent over-exploitation, maintain the stability of the rare earth market, promote the transformation and upgrading of the rare earth industry, increase the added value of rare earth, and promote the high-end application of rare earth.

China's rare earth policy has undoubtedly had a certain impact on the United States and Western countries. The United States and Western countries are major importers of rare earths, and many of their high-tech products and military equipment rely on rare earths. China's restrictions on rare earth exports have threatened their supplies and raised their costs. The United States and other Western countries have been searching for rare earth minerals around the world since China introduced countermeasures against rare earth minerals last year. According to the International Energy Agency, China accounts for about 60 percent of global rare earth mining, but nearly 90 percent of global rare earth processing and refining production.

As the world's first military power and scientific and technological power, the United States needs a large number of rare earth resources to support its industrial development in the research and development of new weapons, high-tech manufacturing and other fields. Therefore, the important role of rare earth resources in promoting scientific and technological progress in the United States is self-evident. If the United States loses China as a major supplier of rare earths, it will hinder its military technological breakthroughs and industrial development. Bloomberg also reported that China's new regulations do not affect exports of rare earth products per se, but could frustrate efforts to develop a rare earth industry outside China, which will have a major impact on the production of heavy rare earths in Western countries.

With the implementation of the rare earth ban, the global science and technology war has escalated again. The International Energy Agency predicts that in the next 20 years, the global demand for rare earths will increase significantly, which also means that the global competition for rare earths will be more intense. For China, this is an important step in cementing its dominance in global technology. For other countries, the question of how to wean themselves off China's supply of critical minerals is an important one. China's rare earth ban is not just a trade restriction, but also an important step in a technological war. Behind this decision lies China's ambition to control global technology and resources. The reshuffle of the global science and technology landscape will make all countries need to adjust their strategies and strengthen independent innovation to ensure an invincible position in the future science and technology competition. The winner of this technological battle will occupy a more important position in the future global economic pattern.