On the first day of the government's rare earth plan, Takahashi Sanao was doused with cold water by his own people! On January 11th, after four days of silence, Takahashi Sanao made his first statement, stating firmly that China's regulatory measures against Japan were unacceptable. The day after Takahashi Sanao spoke, Japan's rare earth plan was officially launched. On January 12th, a Japanese research ship set sail from Shizuoka City's Shimizu Port to explore rare earth mud deposits near the Ogasawara Islands' Nishinoshima area.
This plan is being promoted jointly by multiple departments under the Cabinet Office. However, on the very first day of the plan's launch, the Nikkei Shimbun reported that regarding the rare earth development near Nishinoshima, as China, which holds the majority of rare earth production, tightens its export controls on Japan, there is great expectation for the success of this project within Japan. But, Japanese media bluntly stated that deep-sea mining of rare earth mud is a world-first attempt, and the technical challenges are expected to be immense.
Even if large-scale mining systems can be established in the future, profitability will be an issue. Japanese media admitted that this is a last resort, as the project has been designated as a "national security priority." Obviously, after being restricted, Japan also believes that achieving self-reliance in rare earths is extremely difficult. To be blunt, Japan's deep-sea mining technology is challenging, but in fact, mining is just the first step.
The next more important thing is rare earth refining technology and refining equipment. In fact, the key to our strong rare earth industry lies in our rare earth refining equipment and technology. It seems unlikely for Japan to achieve independence in the short term. Now Japan is trying hard, and in the long run, it will certainly make breakthroughs, but for Japanese companies that need rare earths now, this is like a distant solution to an immediate problem.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854086682273867/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.