Latest news with #foreignspyagencies
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
China vows tougher action against smuggling of strategic minerals
SHANGHAI, July 19 (Reuters) - China vowed on Saturday to step up a crackdown and toughen law enforcement against smuggling of strategic minerals seen as vital to national security and critical for development. The remarks by the commerce ministry came a day after the state security ministry accused foreign spy agencies of having tried to "steal" rare earths and pledged to crack down on infiltration and espionage targeting the critical sector. The world's largest supplier of dozens of strategic minerals, China began imposing export curbs in 2023 on supplies vital to sectors ranging from chipmaking and the energy transition to defence. The commerce ministry remarks, describing smuggling and export of strategic minerals as a severe problem to be combated, came at a meeting of officials responsible for export control coordination and other government bodies. "Cases of smuggling by a small number of criminals for their own selfish interests and collusion between domestic and foreign parties are still occurring," it said in a statement. Evasive methods such as false declarations and third-country transshipment were taking on increasingly covert forms, it added, urging government bodies to prevent illegal outflows of strategic minerals and related technologies. China has adopted a "zero-tolerance" approach to smuggling and export of strategic minerals, which it will fight with a heavy hand, through special efforts to toughen law enforcement, the ministry said. In May China said it would strengthen controls on the entire supply chains of strategic mineral exports while tightening its grip on materials deemed crucial to national interest. Earlier, Beijing launched a special campaign to tackle smuggling of strategic minerals such as gallium, germanium, antimony, tungsten and some rare earths.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
China's spy agency attacks foreign efforts to 'steal' rare earths
BEIJING (Reuters) -China's Ministry of State Security on Friday said foreign spy agencies had tried to "steal" rare earths and pledged to crack down on infiltration and espionage targeted at its critical mineral sector. Foreign intelligence agencies and their agents had colluded with "domestic lawbreakers" to steal rare earth-related items from China, posing a serious threat to China's national security, the spy agency said in a statement on its WeChat account without naming any specific country. The ministry said it had detected attempts by an unnamed country to bypass export restrictions by forging labels, falsifying cargo manifests and transshipping cargoes, where products are routed through third countries before going to their final destination. Reuters reported exclusively this month that unusually large quantities of antimony - a metal used in batteries, chips and flame retardants - appeared to have been transshipped into the United States via Thailand and Mexico after China banned U.S. exports. China added several rare earths and related magnets to its export restriction list in early April in retaliation for U.S. tariffs. The decision rattled global supply chains key to electric vehicles, robots and defence, forcing some automakers outside China to partially suspend production due to shortages. However, China's rare earths exports rose 32% in June from the month before in a potential sign that agreements reached last month between Washington and Beijing to free up the flow of the metals are bearing fruit. Nvidia's planned resumption of sales of its H20 AI chips to China was part of the rare earth negotiations.
Reuters
7 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
China's spy agency attacks foreign efforts to 'steal' rare earths
BEIJING, July 18 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of State Security on Friday said foreign spy agencies had tried to "steal" rare earths and pledged to crack down on infiltration and espionage targeted at its critical mineral sector. Foreign intelligence agencies and their agents had colluded with "domestic lawbreakers" to steal rare earth-related items from China, posing a serious threat to China's national security, the spy agency said in a statement on its WeChat account without naming any specific country. The ministry said it had detected attempts by an unnamed country to bypass export restrictions by forging labels, falsifying cargo manifests and transshipping cargoes, where products are routed through third countries before going to their final destination. Reuters reported exclusively this month that unusually large quantities of antimony - a metal used in batteries, chips and flame retardants - appeared to have been transshipped into the United States via Thailand and Mexico after China banned U.S. exports. China added several rare earths and related magnets to its export restriction list in early April in retaliation for U.S. tariffs. The decision rattled global supply chains key to electric vehicles, robots and defence, forcing some automakers outside China to partially suspend production due to shortages. However, China's rare earths exports rose 32% in June from the month before in a potential sign that agreements reached last month between Washington and Beijing to free up the flow of the metals are bearing fruit. Nvidia's (NVDA.O), opens new tab planned resumption of sales of its H20 AI chips to China was part of the rare earth negotiations.
