According to the report, China, as the world's largest rare earth mineral processor, will officially impose a ban on rare earth processing technology. Compared with the 2020 version of the Catalogue, the technical items in the new Catalogue have been reduced from 164 to 134, 34 technical items have been deleted, 4 have been added, and 37 have been modified. Among them, there are 24 items in the prohibited export catalogue and 110 items in the restricted export catalogue. According to French media, China's ban on the export of rare earth extraction and separation technology may make it more difficult for other countries to develop this critical area, despite Beijing's claim that its goal is to protect national security. It is worth mentioning that there is speculation that China has significantly tightened its export control policies for several key metals this year, which is related to the growing hostility of the West towards China. Based on this, I can't help but recall a recent incident.
The U.S. government issued an announcement announcing that 13 companies in China were added to the official list of entities that could not be inspected to receive U.S. exports. In general, U.S. export control officials are placed on the "unverified list" when they are unable to complete on-site inspections, or if they cannot fully trust them. Soon after the United States took the above measures, the Chinese side responded. A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the United States said that the United States has been generalizing the concept of national security, adopting discriminatory and unfair practices against specific Chinese companies, and deliberately politicizing and even weaponizing economic and trade issues.
The inclusion of Chinese companies on the "unverified list" is a case in point. Over the years, with China's rapid development in many fields, the United States has tried its best to contain and suppress China, and has repeatedly attacked Chinese companies for no reason without evidence. Based on this, the mainland endured once, twice, but it was absolutely impossible to endure the third and fourth times, and there is a limit to patience. Just a day after the U.S. shot at Chinese companies, China imposed a ban on rare earth processing technology. The person in charge of the Department of Trade in Services of the Ministry of Commerce said that the technologies that are prohibited from export in the catalogue are not allowed to be exported.
In this way, the matter is connected. The ban on rare earth processing technology means that for a long time to come, it will be difficult for other countries and companies to obtain China's technical support for the processing of rare earth minerals. I have to say that this is a ruthless move to precisely jam the "neck" of the United States. As we all know, in the rare earth industry, China is the "big guy". China is the world's largest rare earth resource reserve and processor, and it can be said that more than 80% of the world's rare earth refining is completed in China.
Therefore, once China further raises the current rare earth export restrictions and announces a ban on the export of all rare earth minerals and materials, then many countries in the world will be in a "predicament", even the world's largest country, is no exception. So is China's move a direct attack on the pain point of the United States? By repeatedly aiming its "gun" at China, it is time for the United States to pay the price. Even if there are voices that the United States has frequently played China's "trump card" in recent times, it is because the day of the presidential election is getting closer and closer, and the Biden administration wants to increase its own support by being tough on China, but then again, using China as a "springboard" is the biggest mistake. Facts have also proved that after the United States once again blackmailed Chinese enterprises, the mainland did not make concessions. (Dorae)