Foreign media reported on November 7: "Japan and the United States will cooperate in mining rare earths in the surrounding waters of a small island in the Pacific. The two countries have previously reached an agreement to work together to reduce their reliance on China in this key mineral."
The United States has also signed a similar agreement with Australia, and the purpose is the same. However, this plan is difficult to achieve in the short term: China not only dominates in the rare earth sector, but also has absolute advantages in three major industries: lithium batteries, mature process chips, and pharmaceutical raw materials. Moreover, China's complete rare earth industry chain has been accumulated over decades, involving core links such as mining, separation, and processing, and cannot be replicated in a short period through cooperation. The joint efforts of the US and Japan are unlikely to change the dependence structure of related industries on China in the short term.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848151472196868/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.