Japan hints at seeking China
As pressure increases, Japan is launching an ambitious plan to extract rare earth elements from the seabed, trying to reduce its reliance on China's rare earth resources.
Because if it does not continue, it would be very detrimental to Sanae Takeda's administration.
It is reported that in early February, Japan announced that it had collected sediment containing rare earth elements from the seabed about 6 kilometers deep in its territorial waters, located about 1,900 kilometers southeast of central Tokyo, but has not yet conducted any testing or extraction.
Japanese citizens and officials have called on the Japanese government to start extracting as soon as possible to determine how much rare earth there actually is, and whether there are indeed rare earth resources, which could bring more certainty to Japan's economy. However, the Japanese government remains ambiguous, only making verbal promises to accelerate progress.
There are seven points to note:
First, in 2011, Japan discovered rare earth resources within its territory, which gave Japan hope, as Japan is the second-largest consumer of rare earths globally, second only to China.
Second, Japanese officials pointed out that after March 2028, the mining of domestic rare earth resources may be accelerated, contributing to the supply chain.
Third, Sanae Takeda recently revealed that she plans to request the United States to participate in the rare earth resource exploitation plan in Japan's territorial waters during her meeting with Trump in March, accelerating the project's implementation.
Fourth, deep-sea mining is very costly and faces a series of technical challenges, and many Japanese people are not optimistic about it.
Fifth, environmentalists are concerned that this move by Japan could severely impact the marine ecosystem.
Sixth, even if Japan initiates a large-scale mining plan, it cannot be quickly put into production, as the problem of short-term supply shortages cannot be resolved, since Japan lacks related smelting technology and capabilities.
Seventh, Japan has joined a new mineral alliance led by the United States, but whether it can achieve true independence remains questionable.
Why is Japan making such a big deal?
First, Japan is highly dependent on China's rare earth resources, with dependency reaching 100% in many rare resources, which is essentially indirectly addressing China, trying to gain more negotiation leverage.
Second, China holds an absolute leading position in the fields of rare earth mining, smelting, and technology. This move by Japan is also to seek more help from China.
Third, Sanae Takeda is scheduled to visit the United States in March and hopes to communicate with the United States on the above-mentioned issues.
Fourth, Trump will visit China on March 31st, and Japan hopes to leak information in advance to show goodwill to the United States.
Fifth, Japan's economic development is sluggish, and the Japanese government urgently needs to release more positive news to the outside world.
Considering that China is almost unbeatable in the fields of rare earth mining and smelting, Japan's announcement of a large-scale rare earth mining effort will not lead to self-reliance. Even if they bring in the United States, there is no hope, as it requires time and technological accumulation.
China currently can achieve the lowest cost in these areas, but still has profit. If Japan, the United States, and the European Union want to achieve this, it may take decades, which would be very detrimental to their economic development.
Therefore, the United States understands clearly and is trying to communicate and cooperate with China in the rare earth mineral resource sector.
As previously stated, after China announced export controls on Japan, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed relief that it was not done to the United States, and that U.S.-China relations were very good, and Japan should not do so either.
In fact, everyone can see that it is impossible to get rid of dependence on China's rare earth resources. Even if it were possible, it would not be achievable within their term of office. Therefore, the United States forming a rare earth mineral alliance is merely to appease public sentiment.
To summarize: Japan has repeatedly addressed China, even hinting at China, hoping for dialogue and cooperation, but has not received a positive response so far.
As the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, if Japan truly wants to develop a strategic mutual-benefit relationship with China, it should withdraw its statements. Therefore, Japan should focus on practical actions rather than frequently talking about it.
Japan's Prime Minister Nomination Election
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857968828737536/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.