（Soure：Global Times，2025-10-16）

China's rare-earth export controls are in line with international common practice, aiming at better safeguarding world peace and regional stability and to fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated on Thursday.

The comments came in response to media reports about US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent recently claimed Chinese government's rare earth export curbs as China versus the world, and indicated to have "group response" with allies.

Finance chiefs from the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations were reportedly set to discuss a joint response to discourage China's rare earth export controls, an attempt that experts say is likely to face difficulties due to potential divisions within the group, and they urged these countries to resolve trade concerns through equal consultation with China.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil told reporters that the G7 gathering later Wednesday was set to include a discussion of a common approach to address China's actions with targeted measures, while also cautioning against taking any steps that backfire on their economies, according to a Bloomberg report.

According to the report, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated the US would seek wider support beyond the G7 — which also includes Canada, Japan, France, Italy and the UK. "We're going to have a fulsome, group response to this," Bessent claimed at a CNBC-hosted forum in Washington.

G7 finance ministers are visiting the US capital for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank this week, per the report.

Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies, China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday that it is irrational for certain G7 countries to put pressure on China under US influence. "The other G7 members need to handle it reasonably based on their own judgments and not be incited and deceived by the US side," Cui said.

China holds a dominant role in the global rare earth industry chain in terms of products, technology, costs, and industry standards, Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times. "Group confrontation for political purposes to challenge the existing structure will unlikely succeed," Xin added.

Regarding export control measures on rare earths and other related items, the Chinese government's actions are legitimate practices to improve its own export control system in accordance with laws and regulations, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said in a statement on Sunday.

"China's export controls are not a ban on exports; applications that meet the requirements will continue to be approved as usual, jointly maintaining the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains," the MOFCOM statement emphasized.

At the end of September, G7 members and the EU are considering price floors to promote rare earth production, as well as taxes on some Chinese exports to incentivize investment, per a Reuters report. But the group may have differences over whether to adopt a confrontational strategy toward China and the specific restrictive measures to be applied, the report said, citing sources.

"The trade friction was triggered by the US's unilateral bullying, and Europe is also a victim of the US's unilateralism," Cui stressed. He said that as other G7 nations clearly understand the ins and outs of the matter, they could resolve potential issues properly through consultations.

This is not the first time that certain political blocs have signaled their attempt to pressure China recently. EU officials on Tuesday reportedly called for strong measures against China after Beijing imposed fresh export restrictions on rare earth minerals, according to Bloomberg.

In response to these comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated on Wednesday that China took export control measures on relevant items in accordance with the law to better safeguard world peace and regional stability, and fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations.

"The measures are consistent with international practice," Lin stressed, adding that China stands ready to enhance dialogue and exchange with other countries on export controls to keep the global industrial and supply chains safe and stable.

China's rare earth policies have always followed market rules and adhered to an open and cooperative approach, which is one of the reasons the industry has grown strong and competitive, experts said, adding that it would be in the G7 countries' own interests to resolve trade concerns through equal dialogue rather than confrontation.