China on June 20 issued a white paper on its rare earth industry, the first of its kind in the country, as the world's largest rare earth producer strives to better protect the valuable resources.

The white paper, titled Situation and Policies of China's Rare Earth Industry, was released by the Information Office of the State Council.

The publication of the white paper was aimed at giving the international community a better understanding of China's rare earth industry and policies.

China will implement stricter environmental standards for rare earth exploitation while continuing to regulate the mining, production and export of the valuable resources, according to the document.