Now, China's rare-earth experts face travel curbs

Just a few days after Foxconn recalled Chinese technicians and engineers from iPhone factories in India, the next big squeeze is on preventing experts working in the rare earth magnet space from going abroad.

- SURAJEET DAS GUPTA

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has asked their rare earth companies for a list of employees with expertise and research capabilities in the complex processing of rare earths as well as in making the magnets. The move is aimed at ensuring that such experts are under scrutiny and that they don't travel abroad and leak out crucial technology in an area where China dominates the global market.

According to sources in the know, some of these experts have been requested to surrender their passports to the company or the government, so that their movements can be scrutinized when they go abroad.