US President Donald Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping has agreed to restart the flow of crucial rare earth materials, after announcing a new round of US-China trade talks will be held in London on Monday.

China views its rare earths as a national security issue, not a trade one, and that’s why Beijing is unlikely to loosen controls any time soon, experts say.

President Trump said China's Xi agreed to resume rare earth mineral exports to the U.S. after an April halt, marking progress in trade negotiations between the two countries.