Bilateral pacts cover possible investments in rail links, security, plus telecoms and digital data, but analysts said any boost in ties could be more symbolic than real

Improved rail links between the countries could open up the possibility of tie-ups on exploiting Vietnam’s vast rare earths deposits

Officials from China and Vietnam are discussing a possible upgrade of their rail links, including an historic line through part of northern Vietnam with large rare earth deposits

The fund’s push to remove Northern Minerals' chairman comes after the miner asked Australian authorities to investigate whether ‘Chinese interests’ were trying to bypass an earlier ban on greater stake in the firm

The electric battery industry is hugely reliant on raw materials, or completed batteries, sourced from China and other Asian nations

The two automaker groups joined the startup’s latest $33 million funding round as it works to develop permanent magnets built without rare earths

In a first, China has added rare earths to its list of minerals that need to be reported to authorities for export

A basket of prices for the key electric vehicle battery metal has dropped by more than 60% this year

Rare earths have emerged as particularly significant to the global clean energy transition as countries around the world race to meet their carbon emissions goals

Shares rose slightly on markets in mainland China but dropped in Hong Kong, while Japan, Seoul and Sydney rebounded after three days of falls; Asian currencies edged higher

Taliban officials have discussed joining China's Belt and Road scheme, plus possible road and rail links and mining deals, but analysts say there are no easy infrastructure options in Afghanistan

Police arrested the chairman of Vietnam Rare Earth JSC (VTRE) — a company at the forefront of the country’s drive to boost its rare earth industry and rival China