Jian Zhou: China's rare metals export restrictions do not contravene WTO rules

Xinhua Beijing June 25 (Xinhua Yu-Ming Chen) before the United States and the European Union export restrictions on China's tungsten, antimony, rare earth metals, such as World Trade Organization to the proceedings, the original Chamber of Commerce vice president of Minmetals, Tsinghua University Research on Sino-US relations Senior Fellow, Center for Zhou Jian said that China's approach is very reasonable, not contrary to relevant WTO rules.

Zhou Jian said that the protection of natural resources and environment is reasonable, no country has the right to protect their own resources. Adopted by the General Assembly in 1974 to "create a new international economic order the Declaration" clearly announced that "each country's own natural resources and all economic activities have a full permanent sovereignty. In order to defend these resources, each country has the right to take appropriate the situation in their own means, the development of national resources and their effective control of ... ... should not have suffered any economic, political or any other form of coercion, which can not be free and full exercise of this inalienable right. "

Jian Zhou that the United States and the European Union filed the purpose is to fight for China's rare metals. If these rare metals in China's mining and export of fully open regardless, it would lead to abandoning the poor to the rich mining, the phenomenon of indiscriminate乱挖extremely detrimental to the protection of China's natural environment and resources is not conducive to safeguarding world market order.

Zhou Jian said, WTO trade rules to restrict imports were mainly opposed to the closure of market, there was no requirement not to restrict exports of national measures. In fact, the United States on limiting the number of high-tech exports to China, Canada Emerald export restrictions, Japan and even renewable also limit the export of timber.

Zhou Jian recommendations, with the exception of restrictions on export of raw materials, the countries should make greater efforts收储some rare; for the relevant enterprises should be not to export raw materials and replace them with high value-added export products.

It is understood that in 2001 when China's accession to the WTO signed the "Protocol's entry into the WTO," promised the abolition of export products applies to all taxes and fees, but there are 84 tariff lines of goods not listed, including yellow phosphorus, antimony, fluorspar, indium , tin, tungsten and zinc products. In April this year, Ministry of Land and Resources issued a new "total control of rare earth mining indicators" to further reduce the domestic production capacity and to continue freeze on new mining permits.