[Text/Observer Network Liu Chenghui] After US Treasury Secretary Bethune complained that China was "withholding" rare earth, a slap in the face quickly followed.

According to a June 2 report by Bloomberg, Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said that China has not blocked rare earth exports, but only that the approval process is slower than expected.

"We see some approvals being granted, though the process is slower than the industry expected," Hart emphasized. "Part of the delay is related to China's new system for approving exports, rather than them not allowing exports."

On June 1, US Treasury Secretary Bethune told CBS that China had "withheld" some approved rare earth exports. The day before, US President Trump ranted on the "Truth Social" platform that "China completely violated our agreement."

The report noted that the issue of key mineral exports has become a focal point between China and the United States. In mid-May, as part of measures to ease trade tensions with the US, China suspended its export control ban on 28 US entities, which may have included some rare earth materials.

The "Meet in Spring to Enjoy Cherry Blossoms" economic and trade negotiation event in 2025 saw remarks from Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. Visual China.

According to relevant regulations on export control laws and regulations, the Ministry of Commerce of China issued announcements No. 21 and No. 22 on April 4 and 9, 2025, respectively, placing 28 US entities on the list of export control management.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said last month that, in order to implement the consensus reached at the high-level economic and trade talks between China and the US, it was decided to suspend the aforementioned measures within 90 days starting May 14, 2025. Export operators who need to export dual-use items to the above 28 entities should apply to the Ministry of Commerce according to the relevant provisions of the "Regulations on the Administration of Export Control of Dual-Use Items of the People's Republic of China." The Ministry of Commerce will review applications in accordance with the law and grant permission if they meet the criteria.

According to data from the US Geological Survey (USGS), China accounts for nearly 70% of global rare earth production. Due to the US's extreme reliance on rare earth materials for many advanced products (from fighter jets to electric vehicles), rare earth controls are widely seen as a trump card for China to counter the US side.

Huo Yong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, stated on May 29 during a regular press conference that implementing export controls on items with obvious dual-use attributes is an international practice. As a responsible country, China's implementation of export controls on such items reflects its consistent position of upholding world peace and regional stability.

After the Geneva economic and trade talks, the Trump administration successively introduced several discriminatory restrictions against China, including issuing guidelines for AI chip export controls, halting sales of EDA software for chip design to China, and announcing the revocation of visas for Chinese students. These measures severely undermined the consensus reached.

"Unilaterally escalating new economic and trade frictions, increasing uncertainty and instability in bilateral economic and trade relations, instead of reflecting on itself, it points fingers at China without justification, accusing China of violating the consensus. This seriously deviates from the facts," the Ministry of Commerce spokesperson stated on June 2. We urge the US side to work toward each other, immediately correct its wrong practices, jointly uphold the Geneva economic and trade talk consensus, and promote healthy, stable, and sustainable development of Sino-US economic and trade relations. If the US side persists in its course, continues to harm China's interests, China will continue to firmly take strong measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests.

This article is an exclusive piece by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7511533138170888754/

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