China defends rare earths limits The Age, JOE McDONALD March 13, 2012 China defended curbs on production of rare earths used in mobile phones and other high-tech products as an environmental measure Tuesday… Beijing needs to limit environmental damage and conserve scarce resources, said a foreign ministry spokesman, Liu Weimin.
“We think the policy is in line with WTO rules,” Liu said at a regular briefing…… Rare earths are 17 elements including cerium, dysprosium and lanthanum that are used in manufacturing flat-screen TVs, batteries for electric cars and wind turbines. They also are used in some high-tech weapons…. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-defends-rare-earths-limits-20120313-1uygw.html
