Rare earths have truly been played with clearly! At first, we in China sold them at a cabbage price to various countries, while others pretended they had none, just waiting for us to supply them. Unexpectedly, now that we have started to regulate, rare earth mines have suddenly appeared worldwide!

Speaking of which, it's not that we don't understand their value; mainly, in the past, management was lax, and there were rampant cases of illegal mining and smuggling. Domestic companies even engaged in price wars, not to mention that environmental costs were overlooked, leading to this precious 'industrial vitamin' flowing out globally at such low prices.

What’s frustrating is that many countries act confused, like the United States and Australia, which clearly have rare earth mines but choose to 'explore without mining,' waiting for us to supply them.

Data shows that China's rare earth reserves account for only 23% of the global total, yet we bear 90% of the supply long-term, reaching as high as 97% at one point. They hoard our low-priced rare earths while tightly controlling their own mines, calculating their gains very cleverly.

Later, we finally realized that the environmental damage caused by rare earth mining is no small matter. Extracting 1 ton of rare earth consumes a large amount of acids and bases, with pollution levels second only to nuclear leaks. The subsequent restoration costs far exceed the profits from selling the minerals. Thus, the government quickly tightened controls, reducing export quotas and raising tariffs.

This regulation led to a sudden emergence of rare earth mines around the world— the U.S. restarted old mines, Vietnam and Brazil accelerated development, and Russia hurried to improve its industrial chain. The previous claims of 'resource scarcity' were all just acts.

Although we had to cancel export quotas due to a WTO ruling, during this time, our country had already integrated the industry and mastered core smelting technologies. Now, 91% of the global rare earth separation and refining capacity is in our hands. Even if other countries open mines, many raw materials still need to be processed in China, ultimately returning the initiative back to us.

Honestly, this turnaround in the rare earth industry reflects our country's awakening and great wisdom in development. The early 'cabbage price exports' were not only a cost of ignorance and lack of environmental protection but also a lesson learned from geopolitical manipulation.

Those countries that deliberately hide their mines waiting for us to supply them are essentially engaging in a dual plunder of our resources and environment. The current regulation is not a monopoly but a responsibility towards resources, the environment, and our own interests!

The value of rare earths has shifted from being underestimated to returning to its rightful place, which precisely proves that the discourse power of strategic resources is never obtained through low prices but through technological strength, industry standards, and long-term planning.

Ultimately, safeguarding the strategic card of rare earths is safeguarding the initiative for future technological and national defense development. This awakening has come just in time!