China to get tough on rare metals theft

With the disclosure of several cases where foreign spies stole rare earth elements from China, the Ministry of State Security announced on Friday that it will take action to prevent and combat sabotage and theft activities targeting key mineral resources by foreign espionage agencies.

The ministry released details of the cases via its official WeChat account, showing that foreign espionage agencies and their agents have attempted to collaborate with domestic criminals to use delivery services to steal rare earth-related items over the past few years, posing a significant threat to national security.

"Since rare earth-related items have both military and civilian applications and are considered strategic national resources, China has adopted internationally recognized practices and implemented export controls on these items in accordance with the law," the ministry explained in the release.