BEIJING: A high-level Chinese envoy wrapped up a four-day trip to North Korea on Monday after meeting with top officials and discussing the tense state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula and other issues.
Song Tao, the most senior Chinese official to visit Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, in two years, was officially tasked with briefing the government on China’s recent party congress. China’s official Xinhua News Agency said the ruling parties of both countries agreed to strengthen exchanges and “push forward relations.”
Song and North Korean officials discussed “the Korean Peninsula issue and other issues of common concern,” Xinhua said.
Neither side had commented on the tone of the visit as Song wrapped up his official itinerary on Monday. China’s foreign ministry, asked to comment on the visit, repeated a standard line about Song’s official itinerary and added nothing further.
Song’s trip was watched closely because it came on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s Asian tour, in which he urged greater efforts by China and others to push North Korea to abandon its development of nuclear weapons.
Song, head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Department, met with North Korean ruling party Vice Chairman Choe Ryong Hae and former Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong. He also paid his respects to North Korean “eternal president” Kim Il Sung and “eternal general-secretary” Kim Jong Il, leader Kim Jong Un’s dead grandfather and father.
The visit was seen by some North Korea watchers as an effort by Xi to explore a new approach in relations and a reflection of his desire to head off further pressure from Washington.
China’s relations with North Korea have deteriorated under Kim Jong Un, who has ignored Beijing’s calls to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests and return to disarmament talks.
China has also been busy repairing ties with South Korea that have been strained by the deployment of a US missile defense system. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is to visit China from Tuesday through Thursday.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that China could easily solve the North Korea nuclear problem by tightening the screws on trade. While China is North Korea’s largest trading partner, Beijing says its influence with Kim’s government is often exaggerated by the US and others.
Beijing is also opposed to measures that could bring down Kim’s regime and lead to a refugee crisis along its border with North Korea.
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Chinese envoy wraps up North Korea trip after meetings with senior officials
Chinese envoy wraps up North Korea trip after meetings with senior officials
Taiwan to send team to assess US rare earth deposits
TAIPEI: Taiwan plans to send officials to assess US rare earths deposits with a goal to have such minerals refined on the island, Economy Minister Kung Ming-hsin said on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump’s administration has stepped up efforts to secure US supplies of critical minerals after China rattled senior officials and global markets last year by withholding rare earths required by American automakers and other industrial manufacturers.
Trump last week launched a US strategic stockpile of critical minerals, called Project Vault, backed by $10 billion in seed funding from the US Export-Import Bank and $2 billion in private funding.
While semiconductor powerhouse Taiwan is not formally part of that scheme, it has previously held talks with the United States on how it can help, given Taipei’s concerns about over-reliance on a China-centric supply chain.
China views Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up its military threats.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Kung said the ministry’s Geological Survey and Mining Management Agency would go to the United States to assess rare earths deposits there.
“Specifically, what rare-earth elements they contain and whether they are suitable. In other words, whether those are the rare earths we actually need. So we still need to investigate,” he said.
Given Taiwan does not mine such elements itself, it can instead play a role in refining the materials from other countries, Kung added.
“The technology is not an issue; the next step is scaling up,” he said.
Taiwan consumes 1,500 metric tons of rare earth annually, a figure projected to rise to 2,000 metric tons given economic growth, Kung added.
“Our goal is to expand production capacity to meet half of our demand by then, strengthening the supply chain.
President Donald Trump’s administration has stepped up efforts to secure US supplies of critical minerals after China rattled senior officials and global markets last year by withholding rare earths required by American automakers and other industrial manufacturers.
Trump last week launched a US strategic stockpile of critical minerals, called Project Vault, backed by $10 billion in seed funding from the US Export-Import Bank and $2 billion in private funding.
While semiconductor powerhouse Taiwan is not formally part of that scheme, it has previously held talks with the United States on how it can help, given Taipei’s concerns about over-reliance on a China-centric supply chain.
China views Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up its military threats.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Kung said the ministry’s Geological Survey and Mining Management Agency would go to the United States to assess rare earths deposits there.
“Specifically, what rare-earth elements they contain and whether they are suitable. In other words, whether those are the rare earths we actually need. So we still need to investigate,” he said.
Given Taiwan does not mine such elements itself, it can instead play a role in refining the materials from other countries, Kung added.
“The technology is not an issue; the next step is scaling up,” he said.
Taiwan consumes 1,500 metric tons of rare earth annually, a figure projected to rise to 2,000 metric tons given economic growth, Kung added.
“Our goal is to expand production capacity to meet half of our demand by then, strengthening the supply chain.
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