Germany says China promised 'reliable' rare earth supply

SINGAPORE, Nov 21 (AFP) : Germany's finance minister said Thursday Beijing had made a "clear" commitment on ensuring rare earth supplies, following the first visit to China by a minister from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government.
Germany and China have long had deep economic ties, but those have frayed in recent times over issues ranging from claims of unfair trade practices to protectionism.
One particularly thorny issue has been China's moves to restrict exports of rare earths, crucial to many sectors worldwide from automotive to electronics.
But after wrapping up a visit to Beijing and Shanghai, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said he had received a "clear commitment from the Chinese side that there will be reliable access and supply chains for rare earths and critical raw materials, and that the Chinese side stands by this".
"This was a very important point, publicly committed to, and we will remind the Chinese side of this," added Klingbeil, who is also German vice chancellor, as he visited Singapore following his China trip.
China dominates the mining and processing of rare earths but has been tightening control over their export this year, against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, especially with Washington.