China rejects reports Pakistan shipped rare earth samples to US

China dismissed media reports alleging that Pakistan supplied rare earth samples to the United States using Chinese technology, calling the claims misinformed or designed to drive a wedge between Beijing and Islamabad. The response came at a routine press briefing when a Global Times reporter sought clarification from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.

The discussion followed early-October reporting that Pakistan had dispatched its first consignment of enriched rare earth elements and critical minerals to US-based Strategic Metals. Lin said both China and Pakistan remain “all-weather strategic cooperative partners,” adding that the two sides maintain high-level mutual trust and close communication on issues of common interest.

Addressing the specific allegation, the spokesperson said the items shown by Pakistani officials to American counterparts were gem ores purchased locally, not rare earth materials tied to Chinese technology. Beijing, he added, had also discussed Islamabad’s mining cooperation with Washington and was assured it would not harm China’s interests or bilateral projects.

Lin also noted that China’s recently expanded export controls on certain rare earth-related technologies—taking effect on November 8—are unrelated to Pakistan. The measures, he said, are a lawful step to tighten oversight, uphold stability and meet non-proliferation obligations. The rule changes include controls on extraction and separation technologies, synthetic diamond powders, single crystals and diamond-wire saws, among other items.

The remarks underscore Beijing’s effort to keep geopolitical tensions from spilling into its partnership with Pakistan while reiterating that narratives depicting a divergence between the two countries are unfounded.