【新唐人2011年3月18日訊】中國「稀土」新的政策，限制了出口配額，對中外合資的採礦業也要求中方擁有多數股份。外資認為中國想要壟斷稀土市場意圖明顯。專家表示，擔心中國「稀土政策」將來會變成一個問題。
「稀土」是不可再生的戰略資源，被廣泛應用在國防、航太、電子、ＩＴ、核工業、綠色經濟等各項領域。中國「稀土」儲量佔全球36%，卻供應了95%的產量，這些國家擔心一旦受到限制，勢必會影響他們的科技工業發展。
華府智庫傳統基金會亞洲研究中心安全和外交研究員成斌(Dean Cheng)向《美國之音》表示：「美國不僅擔心中國利用對稀土供應的控制，推進自身經貿利益，同時也擔心中國運用這種優勢，施加政治和安全方面的影響力。」他更擔心中國把稀土當作一張牌，未來可能變成一個問題。
《美國之音》報導美國4名參議員，聯名寫信給美國財長蓋特納和內政部長薩拉查，建議在中國同意公平參與全球稀土元素貿易之前，美國行政當局應該阻止中國在世界範圍內，包括在美國境內的採礦專案融資。
他們在信中指出，美國軍方、國防承包商、以及聯邦政府的相關機構，對中國主控的稀土市場過份依賴可能產生的風險。金屬鈰的供應緊張已經造成國防部武器系統研發的推遲，構成美國國安潛在威脅。通用汽車生產的VOLT電動汽車引擎和Sydor Optics的3D電影放映機鏡頭，都要依賴稀土金屬生產，業務也受到嚴重損失。
舒默和斯塔貝諾議員表示，北京當局「持續減少全球市場的稀土量，導致倚賴稀土元素的產業成本飆升」，引發「經濟和國家安全問題」。
美國「國際與戰略研究中心」的能源和國家安全高級顧問羅伯特?艾伯爾 (Robert Ebel)也表示：「中國收緊對稀土出口的控制，是出於對自己戰略利益的考量。」他建議各國應該尋找替代資源，或是在自己國內開採。
《環球時報》17號報導，澳大利亞礦業公司Lynas將在馬來西亞建設大型精煉廠提煉稀土，如果今年9月份順利投產，將可以提供全球1/3的稀土需求，「終結中國在稀土出口領域的壟斷地位」。不過這項計劃還沒得到馬國政府正式表態支持。
新唐人記者 李庭 王明宇綜合報導
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China』s New 『Rare Earth』 Policy An Issue
China』s new 『Rare Earth』 policy limited
its export quotas for rare earth metals.
In addition, China asked for a majority share
in foreign joint mining industries.
Foreign investors believe
that China has an obvious intention
to monopolize the rare earth market.
Experts are concerned that China』s
rare earth policy would become a problem.
Rare earth metals are non-renewable
strategic resources, which are widely used
in national defense, aviation, electronics, IT,
nuclear and green economy industries. China
has 36% of world』s total rare earth reserves
while providing 95% of world』s total production.
Some foreign countries are concerned that
their technology industries would be influenced,
once the rare earth export is limited.
Dean Cheng of Asian Research Center
at DC based think-tank, Heritage Foundation,
told VOA: “America is not only concerned
that China will gain its own economic and
trading interests by controlling rare earth supply,
but also fears that it will exert political
and safety impact by using this advantage.”
He is even more worried that China
will use rare earth trade as a bargaining chip,
which might become a problem in the future.
Voice of America said, that 4 US senators wrote
to the Secretary of Treasury, Geitherner,
and the Secretary of the Interior, Salazar,
suggesting that American executive authorities
should stop China』s mining projects from being
financed worldwide or in the US, before China
agrees on its impartial participation
in the world』s rare earth trade.
In the letter, they pointed out the possible risks
faced by US military, defense contractors and
other related federal institutes,
if they relied too much on the rare earth market
controlled by China. The shortage of Cerium,
for example has resulted in delayed development
of US Department of Defense』s weapon system
and posed potential threats
to US national security.
General Motors』 VOLT electric car engines
and Sydor Optics』 3D movie projector lens,
both relying on rare earth metals production,
have also suffered huge losses.
Senators Schumer and Stabenow said, that
Beijing authorities “had continuously reduced
world』s amount of rare earth, which resulted in
soaring costs of rare earth based industries”,
and “problems in economy and national security.”
Robert Ebel, a senior adviser
in the Energy and National Security Program
at US Center For Strategic & International Studies,
said: “China tightens limits on rare earth exports
for the sake of its own interests.”
To tackle this problem he suggested
foreign countries should look
for alternative sources or extract domestically
rare earth products.
According to a Global Times report from March 17,
Lynas, a Canadian mining company, is going to
build a large rare earth refinery in Malaysia.
If it is put into operation this September,
it will cover 1/3 of world』s demand
for rare earth metals,
therefore “ending China』s monopoly position
in rare earth export”.
However this plan is still to be approved
by the Malaysian government.
NTD reporters Li Ting and Wang Mingyu
