German media: China has "unparalleled technical expertise" in rare earth processing, and other countries find it difficult to quickly replicate China's industrial ecosystem
The process of rare earth processing is technically complex. China has decades of experience, skilled personnel, and a complete industrial ecosystem in this field, making it difficult for other countries to quickly replicate.
A report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in July this year pointed out that China has "unparalleled technical expertise" in rare earth processing - especially in solvent extraction, which is a key and complex step in rare earth separation.
The report stated: "Western companies are struggling due to limited labor skills, insufficient R&D, and environmental regulations."
The report added that to diversify rare earth supply, it is not only necessary to open new mines outside of China, but also to establish new refining facilities, train skilled workers, and provide economic incentives, including price stabilization mechanisms and long-term procurement agreements with downstream industries such as automobiles and defense.
The report's authors called on the United States to develop a strategy to rebuild its rare earth technical expertise and establish processing centers.
They pointed out that this would require not only "raw materials at competitive prices," but also "low-cost energy, well-developed transportation infrastructure, advanced processing technologies, and affordable skilled labor."
Even if all conditions are met, experts still believe that China will continue to dominate the field in the foreseeable future.
The report concluded with a warning: "Without rapid and coordinated action, the window of opportunity to counter China's long-term dominance will continue to shrink, leaving critical technologies, industries, and security interests at risk."
Source: DW
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847245053048844/
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