Jiangnan, Xinshan County, Yunjiang Province.

Jiang Songling, deputy county magistrate in charge of mining, was in a good mood today, and the report just submitted to the county by the Foreign Trade Bureau showed that the county's rare earth exports in the first half of the year increased by 17% over the same period last year, reaching more than 400 tons, and earning nearly 6 million US dollars. If nothing else, the rare earth exports of Xinshan County will sit firmly in the first place in the province this year, and he Jiang Songling will once again sit on the rostrum of the provincial government auditorium, wearing red and hanging colors, to accept the praise of the provincial leaders.

If you want to talk about rare earths, it is really magical, that is, some inconspicuous soil on the hilly slopes, after refining, actually become a treasure. Jiang Songling hadn't read much of a book, he didn't know anything about the elements, he just heard from experts from the province that the rare earth ore in Xinshan County was called "ion adsorption rare earth mine", and only a few places in southern China could find it.

It is said that scarcity is expensive, and this rare earth mineral, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world, has naturally won the favor of many foreign manufacturers. Since the excavation of rare earth mines in Nishiyama County began, the personnel of several Japanese rare earth companies have been stationed almost all here, waiting to buy the mines with large amounts of yen. If you want to talk about the Japanese, it is too dedicated, more than 20 townships in Xinshan County, even Jiang Songling himself has not traveled all over, but the Japanese have carried out a comprehensive survey one place at a time, and the drawn map makes Jiang Songling feel dizzy when he sees it.

The Japanese not only drew a map of the distribution of rare earth mines, but also taught mining and refining techniques to small miners in various villages and villages free of charge. With the help of the Japanese, the production of rare earths in Shinyama Prefecture skyrocketed, and many villages quickly became rich because of rare earths.

In the past two years, because the country's rare earth production is getting higher and higher, even the price in the international market has been affected. A product called dysprosium oxide produced in Xinshan County used to sell for more than $20 a kilogram. By the end of the previous year, it had fallen to only $5 in one go. During that time, Jiang Songling was so anxious that he even had the heart to hang himself.

Fortunately, the state has also noticed this and set up rare earth offices at the national and provincial levels from top to bottom. It has also engaged in a rare earth monopoly policy, stipulating that only the three major foreign trade companies in the country can operate rare earths, and setting a minimum export price. After a period of limited production and price protection, the price of rare earths gradually rebounded, and Xinshan County's export income also continued to hit new highs.

Regarding the rare earth franchise, Jiang Songling's attitude is two-sided. On the one hand, he is very supportive of this policy, because it can keep the price of rare earths stable and rising, which is conducive to Xinshan County's export earnings. On the other hand. He is also very opposed to this policy, because the three major foreign trading companies have limited the output of each rare earth-producing area, and the quota of Xinshan County is much lower than the capacity formed. It's a terrible feeling to see that you have money to make and you can't make it.

However, there are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom. The miners of Xinshan County are certainly not suffocated by the quotas of foreign trade companies, and they have more than enough ways to circumvent such quotas and sell their overmined rare earths abroad. The Provincial Rare Earth Office is also well aware of this matter. To be able to earn foreign exchange for the province, they are naturally happy to open one eye and close one eye. Who would compare that to the truth?

With his achievements in rare earth exports, Jiang Songling's status in the county government team is increasing day by day. Not only can the county have more say when it comes to meetings, but even the Japanese who are elusive in the county have to come to him from time to time to find him "Missy". Connect with feelings.

"Pepper is dried on the glazed tiles, wire tofu is hanging, and the fox crawls over the waist of the chicken ......"

Jiang Songling, who was in a good mood, sat at his desk, looking at Wen Jiàn while gently humming the lyrics of an unknown local opera. Sing to the point of pride. He also tapped his fingers on the table and beat himself.

"County Magistrate Jiang, someone is looking for you." Secretary Wu Lian cautiously walked into the office and reported to Jiang Songling.

"Who is it?" Jiang Songling's hand was still knocking on the table, and he asked lazily.

"It's Director Deng of the Provincial Rare Earth Office." Wu Lian said. Xinshan County has a lot of business contacts with the Provincial Rare Earth Office, so Wu Lian knows all the people in the Rare Earth Office.

"Oh, it's Director Deng here, please." Jiang Songling raised his eyebrows and said happily. Wu Lian said that Director Deng is Deng Shiheng, deputy director of the Rare Earth Office, this gentleman and Jiang Songling have a good personal relationship, and the two have been drinking together no less than 10 times.

After a while, Deng Shiheng took two people and walked towards Jiang Songling's office under the guidance of Wu Lian. Jiang Songling had already left his seat and stood in front of the door waiting to greet him. Seeing Deng Shiheng, Jiang Songling stretched out his hands from a distance, with a smile on his face, and shouted in his mouth: "Oh, Director Deng is here, why don't you say hello in advance, I'll go downstairs to pick you up?" ”

"Haha, I'm afraid of delaying your work, County Magistrate Jiang." Deng Shiheng also stepped forward with a smile, shook hands with Jiang Songling, and teased affectionately: "Old Jiang, your hair is getting less and less, while strengthening mineral development, we must also pay attention to vegetation protection." ”

"I can't grow grass in this mine." Jiang Songling touched his head, which had become slippery due to his early years, and replied with a smile.

"Lao Jiang, let me introduce you." Deng Shiheng let go of Jiang Songling's hand, and at the same time restrained his flirtatious expression, pointed to a young man behind him and said to Jiang Songling: "This is Comrade Qin Hai, deputy head of the National Leading Group for the Development and Utilization of Rare Earths, and he made a special trip to our Yunjiang Province to inspect the development and protection of rare earths. ”

"National ......" Jiang Songling was taken aback. The Provincial Rare Earth Office is an institution with the name of the province, and when he comes to Xinshan County, he is already a superior leader, this young man named Qin Hai actually carries the banner of the country's leading group, isn't this the leader of the leader, several levels higher than himself?

"Leader Qin, disrespectful, disrespectful." Jiang Songling hurriedly shook hands with Qin Hai, his body bent into an arc, and made the posture of a lower-level official, "I am the deputy county magistrate in charge of mineral development in Xinshan County, just call me Xiao Jiang." ”

Xiao Jiang ......

Qin Hai grinned, really speechless. Jiang Songling is already a person from Benwu, and Qin Hai doesn't call him an uncle, how can he call him Xiao Jiang. However, this situation is already commonplace for Qin Hai, when he goes to inspect the lower-level units under the banner of the higher-level departments, the officials of the lower-level units, regardless of age, all regard themselves as small characters. Adults are not necessarily old, villains are not necessarily young, and the concept of size in officialdom has no resemblance to physics.

"County Magistrate Jiang, it's good if you call me Xiao Qin, but if you can't do it, just call me Team Leader Qin." Qin Hai held Jiang Songling's hand and said with a smile. He actually preferred others to call him Xiao Qin, but he also knew that if he borrowed a dare to Jiang Songling, Jiang Songling didn't dare to call him that, so he could only let the other party call him Team Leader Qin. It's also interesting to say that when he was in the 33rd Institute, he was called the team leader, and when he arrived in Xinshan County, he still had to call himself the team leader.

The National Leading Group for the Development and Utilization of Rare Earths is a temporary institution. Compared with the National Rare Earth Office, the former focuses on strategic management, while the latter focuses more on transactional management. The head of the leading group is concurrently the chief director of the State Development Planning Commission, and the rank is extremely high. There are several deputy team leaders, but the one who really does things is Qin Hai, who has just been appointed. Qin Hai was able to enter this institution thanks to Ji Mingchu's recommendation.

Rare earths are not a big industry in China. Last year, China's national rare earth output was 18,000 tons, and the total output value of the industry was 1.3 billion yuan. The export volume of rare earth is 8,000 tons, and the foreign exchange income is 100 million US dollars. In any respect, rare earths cannot be compared with other mineral sectors, and only a government of the level of Xinshan County will regard rare earths as their lifeblood.

However, the expectations of national leaders for rare earths go far beyond that. More than one central leader has said: There is oil in the Middle East, and China has rare earths, which is our advantage. In the minds of these leaders, rare earths should become as important as oil, giving China its own trump card in the global economic competition.

China's rare earth business can be described as disorganized. Those provinces with rare earth resources, in order to earn foreign exchange for exports, compete to mine and lower prices with each other, reaching an outrageous Cheng dù. Due to the cannibalism of rare earth companies, the price of rare earths in China has been declining.

It has been calculated that in the first half of last year, Japan's imports of rare earth chloride from the United States were $8.4 per kilogram, while China's imports were only $1.3, and Japan's yttrium oxide from the United States was $129.5 per kilogram, about $49 from France and the Soviet Union, and only $13.7 from China.

The brutal price war has caused China's rare earth resources to flow to the international market at the price of cabbage, and at the same time, it has also produced a result that is laughable, that is, all the world's rare earth companies have fallen into a situation of loss and bankruptcy. The famous American rare earth company "Molybdenum Company" has been put up for sale because of its production cost inferior to China, and several companies in the United States and Japan finally gave up the plan to acquire Molybdenum Company after careful research, because they firmly believe that no one can bring Molybdenum back to life, because the price of rare earths in China is too low.

In the face of the chaos of domestic rare earth production, the state has successively set up a rare earth office and a rare earth leading group to try to control rare earths. According to what Qin Hai learned, the two departments have very limited control over the local area, so the chaos of rare earth production has continued to this day.

Rare earths are the key elements of many new materials, and if Qin Hai wants to build his own material empire, he can't help but control rare earths in his hands. It was precisely because of this idea that he took the initiative to ask for help and obtained the authorization to govern the national rare earth industry. (To be continued......)