China Accuses Foreign Agencies of Stealing Rare Earth Minerals

China’s Ministry of State Security said today that foreign intelligence agencies have attempted to “steal” rare earth minerals from China, vowing to crack down on infiltration and espionage activities targeting the strategic minerals sector.

In a statement posted on the ministry’s WeChat account, it explained that foreign agents collaborated with “domestic criminals” to steal rare earth materials, describing it as a serious threat to national security. It did not directly name any country.

The ministry added that one country attempted to circumvent export restrictions by falsifying shipping data and rerouting goods to third countries before they reached their final destination.

These statements follow an exclusive report by Reuters this month that reported that unusual quantities of antimony—used in batteries and chips—were shipped to the United States via Thailand and Mexico, following a Chinese ban on direct exports of the mineral to the US market.