Rare Metals

What is a rare metal
     
          Rare metals refer to metals with low content or scattered distribution in nature, which are difficult to extract from raw materials and have been prepared and applied in industry relatively late. Rare metals are generally classified into five categories based on their physical and chemical properties, storage state, production process, and other characteristics: rare light metals, rare refractory metals, rare earth metals, rare radioactive metals, and rare dispersed metals.
 
          Most rare metals have special properties such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, high hardness, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and are widely used in high-tech industries such as special steel, heat-resistant alloys, information electronics, as well as defense and military industries such as atomic energy, aerospace, and cutting-edge weapons. They are internationally recognized strategic resources.

          China has abundant rare metal resources and a complete range of varieties, especially many rare metals that are necessary for modern high-tech development and have wide military applications. The reserves of rare metals account for a large proportion in the world. After years of development, China has become a major producer, trader, and consumer of multiple rare metal varieties.

The strategic significance of rare metals

          Rare metals refer to metals with extremely low content, scattered distribution, difficult extraction, and important applications in the Earth's crust.

          After World War II, countries attached great importance to resource strategy. The alloy elements used for developing high-tech and defense materials are collectively referred to as strategic alloy elements. They refer to: chromium Cr, nickel Ni, molybdenum Mo, vanadium V, tungsten W, cobalt Co, tantalum Ta, niobium Nb, titanium Ti, cerium Ce lanthanum La, etc. Rare metals (strategic alloy elements), with their unique properties and functions, are essential metal materials for many aspects related to national economy, people's livelihood, and defense security, such as atomic energy, aerospace, semiconductors, electronic technology, special steel, superalloys, missiles, rockets, and the arms industry. Therefore, the special strategic needs for rare metals force countries around the world to stockpile them as extremely important strategic materials.

 In order to fully leverage the advantages of China's rare metal resources, enhance the position of China's rare metal industry in the world market, actively strive for price discourse power, and make up for the increasingly exposed problems in the rare metal industry, China should establish a strategic reserve of rare metals as soon as possible. In terms of reserve methods, a three-level reserve model can be chosen, which combines national reserves, local reserves, and enterprise reserves. The three types of reserves complement each other and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of all aspects.

Each of the three types of reserves has its own focus: among them, the national reserve should reserve varieties with global, strategic, and other applications closely related to national defense industry and national security, and its funds should be directly allocated from the fiscal budget; Local reserves consider reserving rare metal varieties closely related to local industries based on the actual situation and economic development needs of each region; Enterprise reserves are determined by the enterprise based on its own needs and financial situation. The state should provide institutional guarantees to enterprises and offer tax and credit incentives to rare metal reserve enterprises.

In today's world where the prices of rare metals and other raw materials are soaring, Japan, which relies almost entirely on imports for raw materials, is relatively less affected, mainly because Japanese companies have stakes in many mines overseas. It is Japan's consistent policy to turn other countries' resources into its own. As a major country, China must ensure the security of resource supply through upstream control in the context of RMB appreciation, financial crisis, and other factors.