Pakistan stressed that its interactions with the United States would not harm Chinese interests or China-Pakistan cooperation. The rare earth minerals were raw samples of local gemstones, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday, according to Cina Economic Net (CEN). Lin made the remarks in response to a media query regarding reports that Pakistan is using Chinese equipment and technology to export rare earth to the United States, leading to China's introduction of new regulations that strictly control the export of rare earth-related technologies.

Some self-published videos and articles claimed that "Pakistan gifted rare earth samples to the U.S. and agreed to cooperate on rare earth. China is countering Pakistan's rare earth exports to the U.S."

"China and Pakistan have maintained communication regarding Pakistan-U.S. mineral cooperation," Lin told a daily news briefing, noting that "the reports you cited are either ill-informed, speculative, or even aimed at sowing discord - they are completely unfounded."

China and Pakistan, as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, have a high-level of strategic mutual trust and close cooperation on major issues concerning their common interests, said the spokesperson.

He stressed that China's latest export controls on rare earth and related items bear no relation to Pakistan, adding that this is China's legitimate move to improve its export control system, serving to better defend world peace and regional stability, and to fulfil non-proliferation and other international obligations.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China