China has tightened export controls on rare earths and related technologies while barring its citizens from participating in unauthorized mining overseas, adding fresh strains to a sector central to its geopolitical leverage.

Foreign entities must now obtain a license from Beijing to export any products containing over 0.1% of domestically-sourced rare earths, or manufactured using China's extraction, refining, magnet-making or recycling technology, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday .

To prevent the "misuse" of rare-earth minerals in the military and other sensitive sectors, companies tied to foreign militaries or placed on export-control or watch lists will be denied permits, the commerce ministry said. Applications for items that could be used in weaponry, terrorism or other m

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