Japan to dig deep-sea rare earths to curb China dependence

TOKYO

This picture taken on Sept. 11, 2013 shows Japan's deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu anchored at a pier in Shimizu port, Shizuoka prefecture.

A Japanese research vessel Monday began a historic voyage to attempt to dig deep-sea rare earths at a depth of 6,000 meters to curb dependence on China.

Scientific drilling boat called the Chikyu left Shimizu Port in Shizuoka for the remote island of Minami Torishima in the Pacific, where surrounding waters are believed to contain a rich trove of valuable minerals.

The test cruise comes as China, by far the world's biggest supplier of rare earths, ramps up pressure on its neighbor after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo could react militarily to an attack on Taiwan.

China has long used its dominance in rare earths for geopolitical leverage, including in its trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

Chikyu's voyage could lead to domestic production of rare earths, said Shoichi Ishii, program director at the Cabinet Office.

Rare earths, 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth's crust, are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles.

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has touted the test as the world's first at such depths.

The area around Minami Torishima, which is in Japan's economic waters, is estimated to contain more than 16 million tons of rare earths, which the Nikkei business daily says is the third-largest reserve globally.

These rich deposits contain an estimated 730 years' worth of dysprosium, used in high-strength magnets in phones and electric cars, and 780 years' worth of yttrium, used in lasers, Nikkei said.