logo
China pledges to crack down on illicit exports of rare earths, urges U.S. to lift more trade controls

China pledges to crack down on illicit exports of rare earths, urges U.S. to lift more trade controls

CTV News18-07-2025
Visitors walk in front of a CATL Naxtra battery. It is seen at a CATL booth during the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo at the China International Exhibition Center, in Beijing, China, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
BANGKOK — China's state security agency says it is cracking down on alleged smuggling of rare earths minerals that it says threaten national security, just weeks after Beijing and Washington agreed to make it easier for American firms to obtain from China those materials, which are critical for manufacturing and computer chip production.
In a report published Friday in the state-run newspaper Global Times, the Ministry of State Security said foreign 'espionage and intelligence agencies' were colluding to steal rare earths-related goods by repackaging and relabeling rare metals to hide their Chinese origin.
In some cases the minerals were falsely declared as non-controlled items, mislabeled as such things as 'solder paste,' mixed into other materials like ceramic tiles, or hidden in plastic mannequins or bottled water, it said.
It referred only to an unnamed 'certain country' that it said lacked the capacity to make and refine its own rare earths.
Investigations had found Chinese criminals were involved, exploiting shipping and delivery channels to evade controls on exports of the materials used in many high-tech applications including electric vehicle batteries, it said.
The crackdown followed a report by Reuters earlier this month detailing how rare earths were being transshipped to the U.S. via Thailand and Mexico.
China is the main source for many strategically vital rare earths and it has moved to slow exports of such minerals in retaliation for steep import duties U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed on Chinese goods since he returned to the White House and launched his crusade to overturn a global trading system he says is unfair to the United States and its workers.
That followed an earlier series of restrictions by Beijing on exports of such materials as gallium, germanium, antimony and tungsten in response to trade friction with the administration of then-President Joe Biden.
In April, Beijing imposed permitting requirements on seven rare earth elements, under a Chinese law that applies to all exports, not just those bound for the U.S. market.
With the permitting process taking 45 days, the new requirement caused a pause in shipments, threatening to disrupt production of cars, robots, wind turbines and other high-tech products in the U.S. and around the world. The U.S., meanwhile, added to restrictions on exports of advanced technologies to China.
Rare earths have remained at the center of China-U.S. talks aimed at staving off huge tariff increases that were postponed in May to allow time for negotiations on a broader trade agreement. The deadline for reaching a deal is Aug. 12.
An agreement announced in late June did not remove China's permitting requirement on rare earths, but Beijing agreed to flexibility in dialing up or down the approval process as needed.
Computer chips are another key bone of contention.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Friday that it had taken note of a decision by the Trump administration to lift restrictions on exports of key semiconductors used in artificial intelligence made by Nvidia and its rival Advanced Micro Devices.
In April, the Trump administration announced it would restrict sales of Nvidia's H20 chips to China — as well as MI308 chips from AMD.
But Commerce Ministry spokesman Wang Wentao said restoring healthy trade ties will require more action by Washington.
U.S. export controls on Ascend chips made by Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies have hurt the interests of Chinese companies, Wang told reporters in Beijing.
'We hope that the United States and China will meet each other halfway and correct their wrong practices through equal consultation, create a good environment for mutually beneficial cooperation between enterprises of both sides, and jointly maintain the stability of the global semiconductor production and supply chain,' he said.
Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Thai and Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia for talks to end deadly border dispute
Thai and Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia for talks to end deadly border dispute

Global News

timean hour ago

  • Global News

Thai and Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia for talks to end deadly border dispute

Thai and Cambodian leaders will meet in Malaysia for talks to end hostilities, a spokesperson for the Thai prime minister's office said on Sunday. This comes following pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end a deadly border dispute, now in its fourth day, which has killed at least 34 people and displaced more than 168,000. Jirayu Huangsap said Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will attend Monday's talks in response to an invitation from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim 'to discuss peace efforts in the region.' The spokesperson also said Phumtham's Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet will also attend the talks, though this was not immediately confirmed by the Cambodian side. He added that Anwar was acting in his capacity as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, held on an annual rotating basis by its 10 members. Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he spoke to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire. Both sides agree to discuss a ceasefire Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said earlier Sunday his country agreed to pursue an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire.' He said Trump told him that Thailand had also agreed to halt attacks following the U.S. president's conversation with Phumtham. Story continues below advertisement He said he tasked his deputy, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, to coordinate the next steps with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and to engage directly with Thailand's foreign minister to implement the ceasefire. Thailand expressed cautious support. Phumtham thanked Trump and said that Thailand agreed in principle to a ceasefire but stressed the need for 'sincere intention' from Cambodia, the Thai Foreign Ministry said. Phumtham called for swift bilateral talks to discuss concrete steps toward a peaceful resolution, it said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Both sides blame the other for the clashes The fighting flared Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes. Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia. Despite the diplomatic efforts, fighting continued Sunday along parts of the contested border, with both sides refusing to budge and trading blame over renewed shelling and troop movements. Col. Richa Suksowanont, a Thai army deputy spokesperson, said Cambodian forces fired heavy artillery into Surin province, including at civilian homes, early Sunday. He said Cambodia also launched rocket attacks targeting the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, claimed by both countries, and other areas in a bid to reclaim territory secured by Thai troops. Thai forces responded with long-range artillery to strike Cambodian artillery and rocket launchers. Richa said Trump's efforts to mediate were a 'separate matter.' The battlefield operations will continue and a ceasefire can only happen if Cambodia formally initiates negotiations, he added. 'Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith and repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,' Thailand's Foreign Ministry said separately. Story continues below advertisement Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata accused Thai forces of escalating the violence with bombardment of Cambodian territory early Sunday, followed by a 'large-scale incursion' involving tanks and ground troops in multiple areas. 'Such actions undermine all efforts toward peaceful resolution and expose Thailand's clear intent to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict,' she said. Thailand on Sunday reported a new death of a soldier, bringing the total number of fatalities to 21, mostly civilians. Cambodia said 13 people have been killed. More than 131,000 people in Thailand have evacuated to safe locations and over 37,000 people fled from three Cambodian provinces. Many border villages are mostly deserted, with many schools and hospitals shut. Evacuees hope for a swift end to the fighting Pichayut Surasit, an air-conditioning technician in Thailand, said the sudden outbreak of fighting meant leaving his work in Bangkok to return home to protect his family. 'I didn't have the heart to continue with my work when I heard the news. I wanted to come back as soon as possible, but I had to wait until the evening,' he said. Now at a shelter in Surin housing some 6,000 evacuees, Pichayut worries for his wife and twin daughters, hoping the conflict will end soon so they can return to their home in Kap Choeng district, one of the hardest hit by shelling. Bualee Chanduang, a local vendor who moved to the same shelter Thursday with her family and pet rabbit, is counting on swift negotiations to end the violence. 'I pray for God to help so that both sides can agree to talk and end this war,' she said. At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said he was praying for all those affected by war in the world, including 'for those affected by the clashes on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, especially the children and displaced families.' Story continues below advertisement The U.N. Security Council has called on ASEAN, a regional bloc, to mediate peace between the two members. Human Rights Watch has condemned the reported use of cluster munitions, weapons banned by International law, in populated areas, and urged both governments to protect civilians. The 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics.

Warsaw archbishop asks Vatican to defrock Polish priest charged with the killing of a homeless man
Warsaw archbishop asks Vatican to defrock Polish priest charged with the killing of a homeless man

Global News

timean hour ago

  • Global News

Warsaw archbishop asks Vatican to defrock Polish priest charged with the killing of a homeless man

The archbishop of Warsaw, Poland, has asked the Vatican to defrock a priest charged with the killing of a 68-year-old homeless man who was beaten with an ax and set on fire. Prosecutors on Saturday charged the priest, only identified as Mirosław M. in line with Polish privacy rules, with murder with particular cruelty. He is being detained ahead of a trial and faces 15 years to life behind bars. Investigators say the priest and the victim, Anatol Cz., were together in a car late Thursday when an argument broke out, according to Aneta Góźdź, a spokesperson for the Radom District Prosecutor's Office. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The fight stemmed from a donation agreement where the priest had agreed to provide lifelong assistance and care for the man, Góźdź said in a statement. The argument escalated over the homeless man's future housing. The priest allegedly struck the victim on the head with an ax, doused him in flammable liquid and set him on fire, the spokesperson said. The priest then drove away when he saw a bicycle light approaching. Story continues below advertisement The bicyclist found the victim engulfed in flames and called for first responders, Góźdź said. 'An autopsy showed that the victim suffered burns covering 80% of his body and head injuries caused by a sharp-edged heavy object,' Góźdź said. Warsaw Archbishop Adrian Galbas on Saturday requested the Holy See to dismiss the priest from the priesthood, the highest penalty in canon law for a cleric. In a statement to the archdiocese on Friday, Galbas asked for Catholics to pray for the victim and his loved ones. The archbishop said he was 'devastated' by the crime and pledged to cooperate with investigators. The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China's famous Shaolin Temple leader is under investigation on suspicion of embezzling funds
China's famous Shaolin Temple leader is under investigation on suspicion of embezzling funds

CTV News

time2 hours ago

  • CTV News

China's famous Shaolin Temple leader is under investigation on suspicion of embezzling funds

In this photo taken Sunday June 28, 2015, Shi Yongxin, third from right in yellow and red robes, abbot of the Shaolin Temple, attends the opening ceremony of an urban zen center named Shaolin Chan Hall in Xi'an in northwest China's Shaanxi province. (Chinatopix via AP) BEIJING — China's famous Shaolin Temple announced on Sunday that its abbot is under investigation on suspicion of misappropriation and embezzlement of project funds and temple assets. Shi Yongxin was alleged to have committed criminal offenses and seriously violated the Buddhist precepts by maintaining relationships with multiple women over a long period and fathering at least one child, according to a notice from the temple's authority on its WeChat account. The notice said multiple departments were conducting a joint investigation against Shi Yongxin, and relevant findings would be announced to the public in due course. The fame of the Shaolin Temple, based in the central Chinese province of Henan, has gone beyond a religious institution. It is also famous for its martial arts culture, or kung fu, which has been referenced in many movies and TV dramas, including the 1982 film 'The Shaolin Temple,' starring martial arts superstar Jet Li. The news about Shi Yongxin, whose original name Liu Yingcheng, ranked top on Chinese search engine Baidu and X-like social media platform Weibo on Sunday night. Local media reported that the abbot had been hit by scandalous accusations in the past, including claims that he fathered several children and embezzled money. According to news outlet Caixin Global, provincial investigation reports exonerated him of all charges in 2016. Shi Yongxin entered Shaolin Temple in 1981 and became its abbot in 1999, according to the temple's website. Xinhua in 2015 reported that he was known as a 'CEO monk,' as one of the first Chinese monks to obtain an MBA, and he had sparked controversy for developing commercial operations like lucrative kung fu shows and merchandise. Earlier on Sunday, Chinese local media outlets reported that authorities had dismissed an online notice claiming Shi Yongxin was intercepted by authorities while trying to flee with his mistresses and children as fake. The Associated Press

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store