4 months ago
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Japan embarks Sunday (January 11, 2026) connected what it says is the world’s archetypal bid to pat heavy oversea uncommon earths astatine a extent of 6,000 metres — greater than the tallness of Mount Fuji — to curb dependence connected China.
A Japanese deep-sea technological drilling vessel called the Chikyu volition acceptable sail for the distant land of Minami Torishima successful the Pacific, wherever surrounding waters are believed to incorporate a affluent trove of invaluable minerals.
The trial cruise comes arsenic China — by acold the world’s biggest supplier of uncommon earths — ramps up unit connected its neighbour aft Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested successful November that Tokyo whitethorn respond militarily to an onslaught connected Taiwan, which Beijing has vowed to prehend power of by unit if necessary.
Rare earths — 17 metals hard to extract from the Earth’s crust — are utilized successful everything from electrical vehicles to hard drives, upwind turbines and missiles.
The ngo by the Chikyu is “a archetypal measurement toward our country’s industrialisation of home uncommon earths”, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) said successful a connection past month.
The bureau touted the trial arsenic the world’s archetypal astatine specified depths.
The country astir Minami Torishima, which is successful Japan’s economical waters, is estimated to incorporate much than 16 cardinal tons of uncommon earths, which the Nikkei concern regular says is the third-largest reserve globally.
These affluent deposits incorporate an estimated 730 years’ worthy of dysprosium, utilized successful high-strength magnets successful phones and electrical cars, and 780 years’ worthy of yttrium, utilized successful lasers, Nikkei said.
“If Japan could successfully extract uncommon earths astir Minami Torishima constantly, it volition unafraid home proviso concatenation for cardinal industries,” Takahiro Kamisuna, probe subordinate astatine The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), told AFP.
“Likewise, it volition beryllium a cardinal strategical plus for Takaichi’s authorities to importantly trim the proviso concatenation dependence connected China.”
Threat to oversea life
Beijing has agelong utilized its dominance successful uncommon earths for geopolitical leverage, including successful its commercialized warfare with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
China accounts for astir two-thirds of uncommon world mining accumulation and 92% of planetary refined output, according to the International Energy Agency.
Media reports this week said Beijing was delaying Japanese imports arsenic good arsenic rare-earth exports to Tokyo, arsenic their two-month-old spat escalates.
China connected Tuesday (January 6, 2026) blocked exports to Japan of “dual-use” items with imaginable subject uses, fuelling worries successful Japan that Beijing could choke supplies of uncommon earths, immoderate of which are included successful China’s database of dual-use goods.
An earlier spat successful 2010 saw Japan determination to lessen its dependence connected Beijing for uncommon earths but much than 70% inactive travel from China, according to Tokyo — a stat it is looking to change.
During the trial mission, the Chikyu volition nonstop a tube beneath the h2o to guarantee a “mining machine” attached to its extremity tin scope the seabed and retrieve the uncommon earth-rich muds, JAMSTEC said.
The cruise is scheduled to past until February 14.
Deep-sea mining has go a geopolitical flashpoint, with anxiousness increasing implicit a propulsion by US President Donald Trump to fast-track the signifier successful planetary waters.
Environmental campaigners pass it threatens marine ecosystems and volition disrupt the oversea floor.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which has jurisdiction implicit the water level extracurricular nationalist waters, is pushing for the adoption of a planetary codification to modulate mining successful the water depths.
