China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said resource-rich countries should play a proactive role in bolstering their rare earth supply chains.

US President Donald Trump said the deal had been negotiated over the last four to five months.

The US and Australia agreed to a framework that includes investments in projects to expand mining and processing of rare earth and critical minerals.

Breaking China's stranglehold on supplies of the critical minerals is likely to take at least a decade, experts say.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said resource-rich countries should play a proactive role in bolstering their rare earth supply chains.