China’s rare earth metal production is a complex issue with implications at every scale of governance, from tiny villages to international treaty organizations. This recent NYTimes article provides a summary of the issue over the last few years.
Our journey into rare earth territory in northern Guangdong and southern Jiangxi provinces reminded me of the wild wild west I had read about as a kid – clandestine mining operations, gun battles between outlaw gangs struggling for territory and even violent clashes between artisanal miners and authorities trying to shut down illegal mines.
