IN BRIEF (Page 13)

No reduction in export quotas

Authorities said on Wednesday that the latest media reports about the country's plans to reduce quotas for rare earth exports by 30 percent in 2011 are "false" and "groundless".

"China will continue to supply rare earth to the world," the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement to Xinhua News Agency.

The ministry also said that to protect limited resources and sustainable development, China will continue to take restrictive measures on the exploitation, production and export of rare earth.

The Chinese government will set the 2011 export quotas based on the rare earth output, market demand and the needs for sustainable development.

Certification MOUs signed

TUV Rheinland Group, a technology inspection and certification services provider based in Cologne, Germany, said it has signed memoranda of understanding with two Chinese entities, the China Automotive Technology & Research Center, and the China Quality Certification Center in Beijing.

Under the agreements, TUV will provide the two partners with expertise and services involving product certification, system safety assessment and project management in the automobile and PV industries.

Rubber center set for Qingdao

An international rubber trading center is expected to be set up in Sifang district of Qingdao, Shandong province, local authorities said, with a 12,000-square-meter integrated R&D area planned. A 5,000-square-meter rubber trade center is also expected in the area as part of 33 investment projects that attracted 36.3 billion yuan ($5.46 billion) and $80 million of foreign capital in an investment promotion fair.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily 10/21/2010 page13)