CHINA yesterday said it has launched an interprovincial operation to regulate production of light rare-earth metals better in its latest effort to rein in illegal rare-earth exploration.

The local governments of three regions which host most of China's light rare-earth metals will jointly crack down on the illegal exploration and production of light rare earths, according to the Ministry of Land and Resources.

The operation aims to "promote the protection and rational development of the country's rare-earth resources and further regulate their production,"

The three regions include the city of Baotou in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Jining in east China's Shandong Province and Liangzhou in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Source:shanghaidaily