Australian minerals fuel Chinese technology, prompting calls to tighten supplies

A worker picks up a handful of rare earth concentrate that has been left to dry in the sun at Mount Weld, northeast of Perth, Australia. PHOTO: REUTERS
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SYDNEY - During the past two decades, Australia’s massive exports of iron ore have helped to fuel China’s infrastructure boom and led to Australia being known as “China’s quarry”.

Now, a new line of Australian resources is fuelling China’s technology boom.

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