Donald Trump deep sea mining order violates law, China says

The US president speeds up permits for a practice opposed by many countries and environmentalists.

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The move to allow exploration outside its national waters has been met by condemnation from China which said it "violates" international law.

Thursday's order is the latest issued by the US president to try to increase America's access to minerals used by the aerospace, green technology and healthcare sectors.

The deep sea contains billions of tonnes of potato-shaped rocks, called polymetallic nodules, which are rich in critical minerals like cobalt and rare earths.

The latest US executive order was issued to "establish the United States as a global leader in responsible seabed mineral exploration", it reads.