Top Chinese Officials to Visit Brussels Over Rare Earth Export Curbs
European Council President Antonio Costa said on Monday that high-level officials from China were scheduled to visit Brussels in the coming weeks to discuss Beijing’s export curbs on rare earths.
China’s expanded controls of rare earth exports have caused a global shortage, prompting an escalation in global trade tensions, particularly with the United States.
“We are very concerned about the trade relationship with China, especially the recent measures that China adopted regarding the export control of critical raw materials,” Costa told selected media in an interview on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.
“A high-level delegation from China is going to Brussels in the coming weeks and we hope to address these in the proper way.”
It is noteworthy that Beijing controls more than 90% of the world’s supply of rare earth materials, which are essential for high-tech manufacturing, including electric vehicles, semiconductors and missiles.
On Saturday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU is developing a new plan to curb its reliance on Chinese critical raw materials, through expanding partnerships with other countries such as Australia, Canada, Chile, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
The plan would also include greater efforts to recycle critical raw materials in products sold in Europe, she said.
The scheme, called RESourceEU, would be similar to a plan the bloc developed to cut its reliance on Russian energy, known as REPowerEU, she added.
