China has pledged to intensify enforcement against smuggling of strategic minerals crucial to its national security and key industries, the Commerce Ministry announced on Saturday.
The move follows accusations from the State Security Ministry that foreign spy agencies have attempted to steal rare earth minerals, prompting a crackdown on espionage and infiltration targeting the sector, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
As the world’s largest supplier of many critical minerals used in chipmaking, energy, and defense, China has imposed export restrictions since 2023 to safeguard these resources. Officials at a recent government meeting highlighted that smuggling continues through increasingly covert methods such as false declarations and third-country transshipments, often involving collusion between domestic and foreign actors.
The Commerce Ministry emphasized a “zero-tolerance” stance on smuggling and illegal exports of strategic minerals like gallium, germanium, antimony, tungsten, and rare earths, promising heightened law enforcement efforts and tighter control over the entire supply chain. This commitment comes amid China’s broader campaign to protect materials deemed vital to its national interest.
