>>64382945
>Except that they a dominance in REE refinement
This isnt hard to do at all. Its mildly inconvenient if you want to be ecologically friendly about it. Thats it. 
China chooses to do the quickest, cheapest, and by extension, the most polluting methods. Other arnt willing to do this. 
There is a reason why most of china industrial regions have purple rivers and permanent smog that hangs like a silent hill video game