China Calls for Cooperation as US Hosts Critical Minerals Summit

(MENAFN) China has called on all parties to play a “constructive role” as the United States prepares to convene a high-level summit focused on critical minerals, a sector that has increasingly become a point of strategic rivalry between the two nations.

The inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial is scheduled for Wednesday, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcoming delegations from over 50 countries, including several European nations. The summit aims to bolster cooperation on supply chains and reduce vulnerabilities in the critical minerals industry.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, reiterated Beijing’s position, saying the country remains committed to “maintaining the security and stability of global critical mineral industrial and supply chains.” He added that “all parties have a responsibility to play a constructive role to this end.”

“Let me point out that China always maintains that countries need to follow the principles of market economy and international economic and trade rules, step on communication and dialog strongly keep the industrial and supply chain stable and unimpeded and advance the steady growth of world economy,” Lin said.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced plans to establish a strategic reserve for critical minerals to reduce American manufacturing’s dependence on foreign sources.

While Trump did not explicitly name China, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated that Beijing was a central factor in the creation of the reserve.

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