It has been reported that the Chinese government has ended its embargo on exports of rare earths. That is a relief, although it is confusing since Beijing has denied for weeks that there was an embargo on those products. Whatever the cause of the interruption in trade, this incident raises disturbing questions about Chinese thinking and behavior.
Beijing must quell those concerns. Mouthing the same reassuring platitudes is not enough; instead, China must ensure that its actions are consistent with international norms and substantiate the oft-repeated claim that it is a status quo power committed to regional peace and prosperity.
Rare earths are 17 different minerals with exotic names such as europium, promethium and yttrium that are critical to high-technology industries and have many defense applications. These uses mean that rare earths are considered to be strategic goods. Today, China meets at least 90 percent (and by some estimates as much as 97 percent) of global demand. That is not because China has a monopoly on supplies: Rare earth deposits are scattered across the globe and China only holds an estimated 30 percent of the total. China's position in the market is in some cases the product of policies designed to undercut other producers and in other cases the reluctance of other countries to incur the environmental costs of rare earth production.