Pentagon Eyes Rare Earth Supplies in Africa in Push Away From China

Pentagon Eyes Rare Earth Supplies in Africa in Push Away From China
Rare earth oxides praseodymium and neodymium are pictured in the final stage of production at Lynas' Advanced Materials Plant in Gebeng, Malaysia on July 3, 2014. Sonali Paul/Reuters
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CHICAGO/LONDON —The U.S. Department of Defense has held talks with Malawi’s Mkango Resources Ltd and other rare earth miners across the globe about their supplies of strategic minerals, part of a plan to find diversified reserves outside of China, a department official said on June 5.

The push comes as China threatens to curb exports to the United States of rare earths, a group of 17 minerals used in a plethora of military equipment and high-tech consumer electronics.