China's Ministry of State Security said that foreign intelligence agencies have tried to “steal“ materials related to rare earth elements, a key strategic resource for the industries of the future, reports "Reuters", reports News.bg.
According to Chinese authorities, foreign intelligence services and their agents have acted in coordination with local lawbreakers to illegally export materials from the country. This, according to the ministry's statement, poses a serious threat to national security.
The ministry claims to have detected specific attempts by an unnamed country to circumvent export restrictions introduced by China. These actions included falsifying labels and shipping manifests, as well as diverting the product through third countries before it reached its final destination.
Earlier this month, it was reported that unusually large quantities of antimony, a metal used in the production of batteries, electronic components and refractory materials, had arrived in the United States. The diversion took place through Thailand and Mexico, despite Beijing’s ban on antimony exports to the United States, which was introduced in December 2024.
In response to the US tariffs, China expanded its list of export restrictions in April to include additional rare earth elements and related magnets. Resources that are key to industries such as electric vehicles, robotics and defense.
Despite the restrictions, exports of rare earth elements from China increased by 32% in June from the previous month. This may be a sign that recent agreements between Washington and Beijing to stabilize supplies are already bearing fruit.