What Are Rare Earths? China And The Geopolitics Of Uncommon Earths
The essential to China’s advantage is not state investment, analysts say, but in allowing Chinese citizens to shoulder the burdens of pollution. The chemical compounds used for uncommon-earth extraction are corrosive to bones and teeth. When mined alongside other metals, the procedure can contaminate water with radioactive residue, stated Eric Liu, a toxics campaigner for Greenpeace in Beijing. China’s advancement up the supply chain has been in plain sight for decades and enabled by companies’ prioritization of low expenses above…