Russia discussed China's participation in developing rare earth metal deposits, but no decisions made yet - deputy Russian PM

MOSCOW. Sept 8 (Interfax) - Russia discussed with Chinese partners their potential participation in developing Russian rare earth metal deposits, but no final decisions on this issue have been made, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov told reporters.

"Such talks actually took place, and some time ago already," he said in reponse to a question about whether this topic was on the agenda during the recent visit of a Russian delegation to China.

"No final decisions have been made, but we know who could be a partner. This primarily concerns the technology for extracting rare earth metal oxides. This is one of the most advanced technologies today, and it belongs to the Chinese and the U.S.," Manturov said.

On Friday, when speaking at a session of the 2025 Eastern Economic Forum, President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to approve a plan for developing the rare earth metals industry no later than November.