Huang Yizhan
The Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China said in March this year that China's rare earth only sold the price of "soil", but did not sell the "sparse" price.As soon as this remark came out, in addition to the rising concept stocks of rare earth, the implication was that the smoke smell of the rare earth war began to float again.
Rare earth is important because of the development of contemporary technology, there is always the role of rare earth.Rare earth is a collective name for 17 rare metals. In various contemporary high -tech industries, all consumer electronics products, electric vehicles, renewable energy power generation, to chemical, machinery, textiles, national defense industries, core components, etc., are all inseparable from the use of rare earth.Essence
According to the US Geological Survey's data, China's rare earth ore reserves account for about 38%to 40%of the world's, but it is the only country that has more than 80%of the world's supply.The so -called complete industrial chain is from the mining of raw ore to the separation of smelting, and then processing and making into industrial finished products. They can find professional production settlements in China.Therefore, China is not only a large exporter of rare earth, but also imported rare earth from other countries. After making semi -finished products or finished products, it is exported to other countries.
For example, in Myanmar, not only rare earth mines, but also like China. They have cheap mining labor and less rigorous environmental protection specifications. Therefore, a large part of the rare earth in the past will be exported to China for processing.Many people use China to ban the import of Burmese rare earth in 2018 (gradually recovering in 2019) to explain the impact on prices.In fact, Myanmar's exports are not enough to shake market prices; embargo will occur, partly due to measures taken by the Chinese government to combat illegal theft.
This is because the mining of rare earth is accompanied by extremely high pollution, and there must be government fragments that can be practiced and exported to hold licenses.In recent years, due to the rise in rare earth prices, many operators illegally pirated them. They first stole to Myanmar, then "exported" from Myanmar to China for secondary processing, and then exported; this avoids review.In the case of incomparable caution, the Chinese government simply banned the import of rare soil in Myanmar to prevent these illegal pirates.
From 1950 to 2000, global rare earth supply data can be found that China is about from the mid -1980s to 1990. Rare earth supply replaces the United States and became the world's number one.This is not the exhaustion of rare earth resources in the United States and other regions, but because there are serious environmental pollution in the mining process, and China has cheap labor and extremely loose environmental assessment standards in China.Under global division of labor, Western countries and Japan have also changed its factories to China, so China's rare earth output has increased significantly.
How serious is the pollution of rare earth?Let's put it this way, the reason why rare soil is "thin" is because the content in the raw ore is extremely low. In order to separate and refine it, a large amount of water and chemical raw materials must be used.Take Baiyun Ebo, the largest rare earth mining area in China, as an example. The local soil heavy metal is extremely serious. From the perspective of satellite maps, it is almost a dead black.
2011 Rare Earth Warfare Strategy
Since China has paid a heavy environmental price, we must make good use of this international strategic rare supplies.With a high degree of market share, the best operation is the price war.Whether it is a decline or rise in prices, there is actually a deep thoughtful layout.For example, there was actually a rare earth war in 2011. At that time, the price of rare earth rose at that time, and China ’s export quota restrictions caused the United States and Mexico to filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization.But many European and American SMEs have long been unable to carry it and have closed a batch.
This is to develop dependence at low prices. Suddenly restricting exports make the price rising sharply, kill those foreign factories that cannot bear the out stock, and then release the inventory in the hands of the government to make the price plummeted and further crack down on the price fluctuations of price volatilitySuppliers with weak resistance; just like the Arab country controlling oil prices and cracking down on the US shale oil industry.
In recent years, in addition to acting in prices, the Chinese government has also continuously improved the control and tariffs on rare earth exports, but has not restricted the export of rare earth products, and even gives policy concessions and subsidies even in some areas.Many international manufacturers simply make factories in China, such as Tesla.Tesla has adopted permanent magnet motor since the second -generation electric vehicle, which contains NDFEB Magnet (NDFEB Magnet), which is one of the rare earth metals.
Look at the export price a little, it is not difficult to find that it has risen from more than 200,000 yuan per ton (RMB, the same, the same, about 40,000 yuan) to 70 in just two months.10,000 yuan, it is estimated that it can attack the 1 million yuan mark soon.
Manufacturers operating magnetic trade in Taiwan laughed bitterly that the current offer must be reported a day. If the price given by the downstream manufacturers fails to reply to agree in time, the next day is another price.However, the rare earth war in 2011 was quoted every four hours, because the market fluctuated too much, and the factors for the operation of the man -made (government) were indispensable behind it.
China can control prices like this. In addition to the party-leading country and the supreme right to speak in China, many companies have also started in recent years.As of the end of 2020, China has formed several major rare earth groups, namely China Zhong Aluminum, Northern Rare Earth Group, China Minmetals, Xiamen Tungsten, Southern Rare Earth Group, etc. At the same time, it has also actively deployed overseas, such as Shenghe Resource Holdings. From 2013Beginning the year, it has signed memo with companies in Australia, Greenland and other places to conduct joint mining of rare earth.There are even rumors that Shenghe also has a multi -level and complicated special destination agencies and companies (SPV) architecture (SPV) architecture, which has invested in several international rare earth companies to achieve a certain influence.
Since China uses rare earth as a threat, it is an attempt to control the very dependent and fragile of developed countries in the high -tech industry chain; as an counter -tribed, what is the most scarce resource in China, but it must be deeply dependent?The answer is the chip.As a result, the "semiconductor alliance" led by the United States has become an important means to contribute to China.Since you have the rare earth, I have mastered the chip, and even the raw materials in other cutting -edge fields. To embargo, everyone is longer than whom and long.
In addition, Western countries have also actively set up a team to create a rare earth supply chain that eliminates the "Made in China", as well as "formulas" to seek alternative rare earth in various high -tech fields.Taking powerful magnets as an example, Tie Tie Ben was unexpectedly configured by Japanese scientists in the laboratory that year. In the modern and modern times, there is no reason to find other ways to achieve the same effect.
Of course, in addition to the actual level of offense and defense, the psychological warfare in public opinion is in full swing.In recent years, it is not difficult to see the media reports that "XXX has found a lot of rare earth mines" and "XXX plans to minimize the bottom of the sea", and even the space bill signed by former US President Obama, has been interpreted as the United States intended to master space resources exploration and mining and mining.Exclusive rights.Why?Because the meteorite is rich in rare earth metal, and the purity is super high.
Looking at human history, competing for rare resources always run through different times.In the field of rare earth, the hegemony between power, whether it is under or on the table, even if no smoke nitrate is seen, it can still feel the smell of gunpowder.
In the 1990s, Deng Xiaoping said, "There are oil in the Middle East, and there are rare earths in China." The importance of breaking the resource at the national strategic level, and as the oil dominates the entire 20th century, rare earths will inevitably become a pawn on the game field;However, in the case of extreme staggered globalization, it is a good strategy to use rare earth to fight the trade war, or is it difficult to conclude that it is difficult to kill the enemy's one thousand.
The author is currently working in the United Nations Information and Communication Technology Office (OICT)
I have been stationed in Bangkok, currently living in Taipei
Of course, China takes rare earth as a threat to try to control the very dependent and fragile of developed countries in the high -tech industry chain. As an counter -tribed, what is the most scarce resource in China, but it must be deeply dependent?AnswerIt is a chip.As a result, the "semiconductor alliance" led by the United States has become an important means to contribute to China.
