By Liz LeeBEIJING (Reuters) - China's chief intelligence agency posted on social media a comic strip featuring foreign-looking characters secretly extracting rare earths, in a story portraying the country's strategic metals under threat from covetous "overseas organisations".
No foreign government or agencies were named in the comic strip, and the ministry did not specify any measures to counter foreign "interest" in China's rare earths.
It also banned the export of technology to make rare earth magnets, in addition a ban on technology to extract and separate rare earths.
The restrictions have fanned fears that the supply of rare earths might ignite tensions with the West, particularly the United States, which accuses China of using economic coercion to influence other countries.
The newspaper said the United States, Japan and the European Union, among others, have for a long time "coveted China's rare earth mineral resources".
Persons:
Liz Lee BEIJING, Li Baiyang, Liz Lee, Miral Fahmy
Organizations:
State Security, United, Mining, Times, European Union, Global Times, Nanjing University
Locations:
China, United States, Beijing, U.S, Japan