No, France did not give in “in secret” to China of rights over a ore in the Vosges

On the Internet, allegations were also relayed by another article, dated August 4, 2025, this time on the “Mail of the Stratèges” website – considered to be conspirator by Conspiracy Watch -, which wonders if France “Braad his energy future in Beijing” (archive).

But if Thorium is an authentic ore. However, the idea of a secret sale of an exploration permit in China is false.

“Several unreliable sites have been pouring into the sensational. For example, relating false information about lithium, scandium, thorium reserves for a few months …“. For example, warned the Ministry of Economy to AFP on August 11, 2025, stressing that”There is no title awarded or requesting a mining title relating to lodges [gisements, NDLR] of Thorium in France“.

In the mining cadastre. Nevertheless, which lists the no, france did not give titles allocated on the national territory and governed by the mining code, there is no exploration or exploitation permit of any thorium deposit in the Vosges or elsewhere (archive). However, “”The digital mining cadastre does not identify a title of thorium mines“confirmed Bercy. Consequently, He”does not distinguish any permit in progress of any kind whatsoever“For Thorium. Nevertheless, the office of geological and mining research (BRGM) has abounded to AFP on August 11, 2025.

Low presence without economic interest – No, france did not give

Thorium is a naturally radioactive and relatively present metal in the earth’s crust. Meanwhile, It is extracted from monazite and rare earths. Furthermore, World Thorium reserves are estimated at 6.37 million tonnes by the International Atomic Energy Agency (AIEA). Nevertheless, including 846,000 tonnes in India, 632,000 tonnes in Brazil, 595,000 tonnes in the United States, and … However, 1,000 tonnes in France (archive).

“The formation of thorium deposits is associated with a geological context which no, france did not give is not that of France“underlines the Ministry of. Economy. He specifies that”Low thorium clues can however be associated with known uranium deposits (Brittany. Limousin, Vosges) without presenting an economic interest to this day“. Thus. the 2023 edition of”The Atlas of Mineral Resources relating to the French subsoil produced by the BRGM to prepare the national policy of resources and uses of the subsoil given to the Parliament in the 2nd quarter 2025 does not mention the Thorium“-This policy aims to formulate the State’s strategy in the management of the resources of the national subsoil and their use as well as its supplies of raw materials (Archives 1, 2).

“There are occurrences in Brittany but the latter cannot be qualified as deposits. due to the lack of existing studies aimed at assessing the economic potential“confirmed the BRGM.

Thorium finds uses in various industries, aeronautics, electronics or even chemical (archive). Associated with uranium. it has been studied for several decades as nuclear fuel by several countries, including China and India, in experimental reactors, because it generates less radioactive waste no, france did not give than uranium. But its use in this context remains for the moment limited by its low profitability. recall the AIEA and the World Nuclear Association (Archives 1, 2).

Thus. in early April 2025, media reported that Chinese scientists had managed to fuel Thorium fuel a small experimental nuclear reactor without having to arrest it – an advance hailed by the specialized press and many experts (Archives 1, 2, 3).

As part of these various uses. industrial installations house Thorium stocks in France (8,510 tonnes at the end of 2023), as identified by the National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management (Andra) in its latest inventory of radioactive materials and waste on French soil (archive). But then again, nothing to do with a so-called deposit coveted by Beijing.