Chinas rare earths El Dorado gives strategic edge

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A view of the under-construction Xinfeng County Baogang Xinli rare earths processing plant in Xinfeng County, Ganzhou on Nov 19, 2025

PHOTO: AFP

GANZHOU - Buried in the reddish soil of southern China lies latent power: one of the largest clusters of crucial rare earths is mined around the clock by a secretive and heavily guarded industry.

The hills of Jiangxi province are home to most of China’s rare earth mines, with the materials used in a wide range of products including smartphones and missile guidance technology.

The flourishing industry is closely protected by Chinese authorities and media access is seldom granted.

In a rare visit to the region last month, AFP journalists were trailed and monitored by minders who declined to identify themselves. Companies did not accept requests for interviews.

Business has been booming: the number of rare earth processing points in China observed by the US Geological Survey jumped from 117 in 2010 to 2,057 by 2017.

Most of the 3,085 nationwide recorded by the USGS today are clustered in the hills of Jiangxi.

Locals there told AFP that one rare earths mine was maintaining near-constant operations.

“It’s busy 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” a resident in the town of Banshi said.

Nearby, construction work was getting started for the day on a vast new industrial park housing facilities including rare earth processing sites.

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