New
York Times: Chinese shipments of lanthanum, neodymium, and
other rare-earth elements appear to have restarted, reports
Keith Bradsher of the
New York Times. In a show of strength that lacked an
officially avowed motive, the Chinese government had blocked
the export of the industrially important minerals to Japan on
21 September and to Europe and the US on 18 October. Although
the Chinese gave no explanation for the resumption, Bradsher
noted that
The decision came a day and a half after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced plans to visit China on Saturday. She met on Wednesday in Honolulu with Japan’s foreign minister, Seiji Maehara, and said afterward that the suspension of shipments had been a “wake-up call” and that both countries would have to find alternative suppliers.
