Highlights
- China’s China Rare Earth Group (CREG) strategically expands rare earth partnerships with Southeast Asian nations at the 2025 Guangxi-ASEAN Mining Cooperation Conference.
- Beijing aims to secure upstream rare earth resources while maintaining control of processing technologies and value chains within China.
- The conference marks China’s continued global strategy for rare earths, positioning itself as a dominant player in international mineral resource development.
On May 22, 2025, the China (Guangxi)–ASEAN Mining Cooperation Conference convened in Nanning, Guangxi under the banner of “Deepening Belt and Road Cooperation, Advancing High-Quality China–ASEAN Mining Development.” The event marked a key moment in Beijing’s strategic push to integrate Southeast Asia into its critical minerals supply chain, and rare earths were at the heart of the conversation.
Liu Leiyun, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Rare Earth Group (CREG), attended the event and held bilateral talks with senior officials from Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Liu also met with Chen Gang, Party Secretary of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, ahead of the conference to reinforce inter-provincial collaboration on regional resource development, processing, and logistics infrastructure.
Rare Earths as a Strategic Threat in the Belt and Road
The Guangxi–ASEAN Mining Conference is part of China’s broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has evolved beyond infrastructure financing to include strategic resource diplomacy. Rare Earth Exchanges notes that CREG’s central presence at the event signals that rare earths are now an integral axis of China’s foreign mineral policy, not just a domestic industrial priority.
During the conference, CREG engaged in closed-door discussions with representatives from Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam. These countries possess significant rare earth potential, particularly in ion-adsorption clay deposits similar to those found in China’s southern regions, which are rich in HREE (Heavy Rare Earth Elements). The talks reportedly focused on resource co-development, technology sharing, environmental standards, and long-term offtake agreements—although full details have not been disclosed publicly.
By embedding itself in upstream projects throughout Southeast Asia, China aims to ensure continued access to raw materials while consolidating its midstream and downstream value chains within its borders. Rare Earth Exchanges notes that this model enables Beijing to export industrial development while retaining the bulk of intellectual property, processing technology, and magnet manufacturing know-how inside China.
CREG’s Growing International Footprint
China Rare Earth Group, founded in 2021 via the merger of several state-owned rare earth firms, has since emerged as Beijing’s flagship platform for resource diplomacy and industrial consolidation. Its presence at the 2025 ASEAN conference demonstrates both its growing international influence and its role as a policy vehicle for aligning global partnerships with national strategy.
Notably, the CREG delegation included officials from the group’s Corporate Management Department and its Guangxi subsidiary, reinforcing the region’s strategic role as a logistics hub for cross-border mineral trade with Southeast Asia. Guangxi’s proximity to key ASEAN markets, along with its existing transport corridors, makes it a natural gateway for Chinese-led mineral value chains in the region.
Implications for Global Supply Chains
For international investors and governments, the 2025 China–ASEAN Mining Cooperation Conference offers a clear message: China is not retreating from rare earth globalization—it is reshaping it on its own terms. By offering partnerships backed by centralized capital, stable offtake, and proven processing capability, China remains the dominant suitor for Southeast Asia’s emerging rare earth prospects.
However, this dynamic raises important questions about long-term resource sovereignty, environmental compliance, and dependency. As Western nations scramble to build alternative supply chains, CREG’s expanding Belt and Road footprint underscores how far ahead China remains, especially in rare earth project finance, logistics integration, and geopolitical alignment.
Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx) will continue to track China’s expanding rare earth diplomacy across Southeast Asia, particularly in relation to joint ventures, exploration licenses, and downstream investment flows.
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