Japan Biz Leaders Urge China to Ease Rare Earth Export Rules

Beijing, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)--A delegation of Japanese business
leaders pressed senior Chinese government officials Tuesday to ease their
country's recently tightened export restrictions on rare earth metals.
During talks here, Toyota Motor Corp. <7203> Chairman Fujio Cho,
leader of the Japan-China Economic Association mission, said that "the
Japanese business community is concerned" about China's move, calling on
Beijing to ease the regulations.
Rare earth metals are used in hybrid vehicles and mobile phones.
This is the first time that the Japanese business community has
voiced concern and called for a solution in direct talks with the Chinese
side since Beijing significantly cut export quotas on rare earth metals in
July.
Cho proposed technology exchanges between the two countries,
suggesting the Japanese business community supports the idea of providing
environmental and metal-refining technologies to address China's worries
that unfettered mining of rare earth metals may lead to pollution and other
problems.
He proposed establishing a Japan-China public-private panel to
boost exchanges and deepen discussion.
In response, an official at the Chinese Ministry of Industry and
Information Technology said that it wants to resolve the issue through
talks, indicating China is ready for discussions with Japan and other
countries.
But the Chinese side made no mention of reviewing the export
restrictions.
Tokyo and Beijing thus failed to make progress over the issue, as
in high-level economic talks held here at the end of August.
The Japanese mission also included Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of
the Japan Business Federation, or Nippon Keidanren, the nation's most
powerful business lobby.
The Chinese side included Peng Sen, vice chairman of the National
Development and Reform Commission, a macroeconomic management agency under
the State Council.