State Council urges further development of the sector.
China is cracking down on the illegal mining of rare earths. At a meeting of the State Council last Friday, it was discussed how the sector surrounding critical minerals could be upgraded. The exploration, development, and use of raw materials should be better coordinated in the future, according to the website of the country’s highest administrative body. Promoting environmentally friendly and efficient mining and metallurgy technologies was also urged.
Economic growth has long been a priority in China, but environmental protection has become increasingly important in recent years, according to the German Mineral Resources Agency DERA (PDF). As a measure against illegal mining, in which no consideration is given to environmental or labor standards, cash rewards were announced in the summer for relevant information from the population (we reported).
Photo: iStock/Alfio Manciagli
