1、The Chinese government is moving to defend its tighter rules surrounding rare earth amid a WTO challenge being brought by the United States, Europe and Japan.CRIs Zhang Shuangfeng has the details.The Chinese government has issued a white paper on the countrys rare earth sector, the first of its kind
2、.The document says China will continue to follow WTO rules, strengthen the industrys management and supply rare earth products to the global market.The white paper comes amid a dispute over Chinas export quotas, which some in the international community have suggested is artificially pushing up pric
3、es of the resources.Gao Yunhu is the Deputy Director of the Rare Earths Office with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.The fundamental purpose for China to enhance management of the rare earths industry is to protect the environment and resources and facilitate sustainable developme
4、nt of this industry. They are in line with international practices and relevant regulations of the WTO.The EU, the US and Japan have formally asked the WTO to settle their dispute with China over restrictions on the export of raw materials, including rare earths.Gao Yunhu says China is meeting globa
5、l market demand, despite the more rigorous export controls.Last year the Chinese government set an export quota of just over 30-thousand tons for rare earth products.Actual exports last year came in at 18-thousand-600 tons.The Chinese government has brought in production caps and an export quota sys
6、tem for rare earth metals to try to limit the environmental damage caused by the extraction process.Su Bo, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, says the moves were in response to the disorderly development of the sector.With only 23 percent of the worlds total rare earths reserve, C
7、hina provides over 90 percent of the worlds market supply, making major contribution to the worlds economic development. However, the excessive exploitation of the natural resource has led to eco-environmental problems which seriously hinder the sustained development of the industry.China is the wor
8、lds largest producer of rare earth metals, which are a group of 17 metals vital for the production high-tech products ranging from smart phones to missiles.Officials say China has paid a heavy price for its rare earth mining activity through excessive exploitation, environmental damage, deflated prices and rampant smuggling.For CRI, Im Zhang Shuangfeng.
