China's Tianwen 2 mission captured stunning views of Earth and the moon from deep space just days after launch.

China signaled it would approve the export of rare earth minerals in a statement Friday hours after White House officials said that the US and China had signed a trade agreement to work out tensions linked to US access to the key material.

"The underground volcanic lava pipes by the Jingbo Lake are the most similar environment on Earth to the underground space of the moon. I hope our forward-looking research can serve China's lunar exploration program," Li Jiaqi, a researcher at Peking University, told China Central Television (CCTV).

With disclosure of several cases where foreign spies stole rare earth elements from China, the Ministry of State Security announced that it will take actions to prevent and combat sabotage and theft activities targeting key mineral resources by foreign espionage agencies.