China vows protection of rare earth metals

Beijing, July 25 (IANS) China Wednesday vowed to protect its rare earth products and said it will work with other countries to solve the policy disputes over the resources.

The government will address the issues within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the China Daily quoted an official as saying.

China will ensure environmental protection while making use of the resources, Zhu Hongren, chief engineer with the industry ministry, said.

The official was speaking at a press conference after WTO Monday set up a panel to consider China's exports of tungsten and molybdenum following complaints by the US, the European Union (EU) and Japan over China's export restrictions of these materials.

Rare earth metals are vital for manufacturing an array of high-tech products, including cell phones, wind turbines, electric car batteries and missiles.

China supplies over 90 percent of the world's demand for rare earth metals.