Rare Earth Exchanges

Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute in Lectures on Innovation and Competitive Positioning with the West

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Highlights

  • Chinese leadership focuses on reforming scientific research systems and mechanisms in the rare earth industry.
  • Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute aims to break traditional barriers and accelerate technological development.
  • Communist Party emphasizes the importance of market-driven innovation and technological competitiveness.

Meng Fanying,  deputy secretary of the party committee of Baotou Iron and Steel (Group) Co., Ltd.,  inspected and attended the collective study meeting of the theoretical study center group of the Party Committee of Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.  All based on the teachings of the head of the Communist Party, will this help or hinder China’s rare earth element business over the long run?

On November 20, Meng Fanying, Party Secretary and Chairman of Baotou Iron and Steel (Group) Corporation, attended the 22nd collective study session of the Party Committee Theory Study Center Group of Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute in 2024. Liu Zhenggang, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Baotou Iron and Steel (Group) Corporation, Party Secretary and Chairman of Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute, presided over the meeting, and members of the Party Committee Theory Study Center Group of the Rare Earth Research Institute participated in the study and discussion.

Communist Manifesto: Thou Shall Innovate & Remain Competitive

The meeting collectively studied General Secretary Xi Jinping’s “important expositions on scientific and technological innovation.”

Based on the learning content and combined with its own pragmatic realities, the leadership team of the Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute carefully analyzed the difficulties and bottlenecks in the reform of the scientific and technological system and mechanism of the Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute, and deeply thought about the focus of the next step of reform. They carried out special discussions on "what to change and how to change" the scientific and technological innovation system and mechanism, identified problems and gaps, and put forward innovative solutions and suggestions.

Following Instructions

Meng Fanying commented on the collective study session, reporting that the members of the theoretical study center group of the Party Committee of Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute focused on key tasks, key issues and research results for in-depth discussions.

The group is demonstrating in their media entry that they are following the top-down directives.

Their speeches were profound, practical and detailed, and they clarified the next steps of work and achieved the expected results. This reflects that the Party Committee of Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute has led all the staff of the institute to work hard on the reform of scientific research systems and mechanisms, improve scientific research and development capabilities, and enhance the core competitiveness of enterprises, and has achieved good results.  Of course, all of this top-down call for reform in China’s rare earth industry has been prompted by the West’s moves to catch up and lessen China’s grip on rare earth processing, a near monopoly at present.

Centralization Helped, but can Hurt too

Meng Fanying in further emphasizing compliance with Xi Jinping’s commands, emphasized the importance of lining up with his expositions on scientific and technological innovation and new productivity, further give playing to Chinese advantages, the bolstering of Chinese development, and ensuring success in achieving  key industrial innovation milestones.

All part of an effort to achieve the "two rare earth bases".

Again, China is trying to decentralize their dependencies as well.  We must fully realize the new changes in the current technological development trend, adapt to the new situation of accelerated technological iteration, think deeply, seize the initiative, accumulate strength, and master the initiative of innovation and development.

So, what’s next for the Chinese rare earth sector?

The parties seek to benchmark against first-class domestic scientific research institutes, learn from advanced experience, combine all learned with their own pragmatic findings, and build a service development model.

The need to strengthen market awareness was called out, as well as break the "small courtyard and high wall" mentality, cultivate technical managers or teams, keenly capture market demand and industrial development trends, and accelerate the marketization and industrialization of more scientific research results.

The secretary of the board of directors of Baosteel (Group) Corporation attended this event.   Can innovation truly be directed by the head of the Communist Party? Or should it come from the market?

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