China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi attempted to calm European fears over rare earth export restrictions during a visit to Berlin on Thursday, insisting that “rare earths have not been, are not, and will not be a problem” between China and Europe His remarks come amid growing anxiety in the EU over Beijing’s tightening grip on critical mineral exports
Speaking alongside German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Wang emphasized that China’s new licensing regime, which began in April, is standard practice for controlling dual-use goods, not an attempt to disrupt supply