BEIJING: China has said that Pakistan has assured that its ties with the United States will never harm Beijing’s interests or affect China–Pakistan cooperation.
According to a report by Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China’s recently imposed export restrictions on rare earth minerals and related items have nothing to do with Pakistan.
He said the measures were legitimate actions taken by the Chinese government in accordance with laws and regulations to improve its export control system.
Lin made the remarks during a regular press briefing when asked to comment on media reports claiming that Pakistan had been exporting rare earth minerals to the United States using Chinese equipment and technology —prompting Beijing to tighten export rules for such technologies.
The spokesperson said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners, and their “ironclad friendship” has only strengthened over time.
“Both sides maintain high-level strategic mutual trust and remain in close communication on issues of mutual concern,” he said.
“To my knowledge, China and Pakistan have discussed the issue of mineral cooperation between Islamabad and Washington. Pakistan has stressed that its relations with the United States will never harm Beijing’s interests or undermine China–Pakistan cooperation,” Lin added.
He further stated that the mineral samples Pakistani leaders showed or presented to their American counterparts were actually raw gemstone samples purchased by their staff.
“The related reports are either based on a misunderstanding of facts, mere rumors, or attempts to sow discord between China and Pakistan — all of which are completely groundless,” Lin said.
He emphasized that China’s export control measures were intended to better safeguard global peace and regional stability, as well as to fulfill international non-proliferation commitments.
Background
On September 8, 2025, US company US Strategic Metals (USSM) signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization (FWO) on the development of critical minerals.
Under the agreement, USSM will invest $500 million and establish a state-of-the-art polymetallic refinery in Pakistan, initially focusing on the export of copper, gold and tungsten.
The USSM has recently sent the first shipment of mineral samples to the United States as part of efforts to advance the agreement.
The samples — prepared locally in collaboration with FWO — included antimony, copper concentrate, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium.
In its statement, USSM described the shipment as a “milestone” in the Pakistan–US strategic partnership, saying the MoU provided a roadmap for cooperation across the entire mineral value chain, from exploration and development to refinery establishment in Pakistan.