BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- China will take practical and effective measures to resolutely prevent the illegal outflow of strategic minerals, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.

Strengthening the export control of strategic mineral resources is crucial to national security and development interests, according to a ministry spokesperson.

Since China implemented export restrictions on some strategic minerals, it has been found that some foreign entities have colluded with illegal domestic individuals, attempting to evade export control measures through smuggling and other means, the spokesperson noted.

To curb the smuggling of these strategic resources, China has launched a campaign to crack down on illegal and non-compliant activities such as false declaration, concealment, and transshipment through third countries, the spokesperson said.

China has also intensified customs inspections and efforts to combat and investigate such activities, thoroughly uncovering the illegal entities and smuggling networks behind them, in a bid to effectively safeguard national security and development interests, according to the spokesperson.

More actions will also be initiated to crack down on illegal activities in the near future, the spokesperson added.

On Monday, China also convened a meeting in Changsha, capital of central Hunan Province, to strengthen "full-chain control over strategic mineral exports."

Participants included officials from several central government departments and strategic mineral-rich provincial-level regions.

During the meeting, it was emphasized that all departments and localities should closely track the flow of strategic minerals, strengthen information analysis and sharing, and promptly issue warnings and take relevant measures to prevent the illegal outflow of strategic minerals. ■