China does not intend to curb exports of rare earths, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday at a forum with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

China released a new round of rare earths export quotas this month, raising its 2012 export quota to 30,996 tonnes, despite a crackdown on small producers.

The World Trade Organization has said it will look into complaints made by Europe, Japan and the United States over China's limits on exports of rare earths, a group of 17 elements used in advanced technologies for the defence, electronics and renewable-energy industries.

Beijing has said it will abide by the outcome of an ongoing WTO investigation, but will continue to tighten regulation of the industry.