SHIZUOKA, Japan: A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday (Jan 12) for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in rare earths, part of Tokyo's drive to curb its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing tightens supply.
The month-long mission of the test vessel Chikyu near Minamitori Island some 1,900 km south-east of Tokyo, will mark the world's first attempt to continuously lift rare-earth seabed sludge from 6 km deep onto a ship.
Japan, like its Western allies, has been reducing its dependence on China for the minerals vital to the production of cars, smartphones and military equipment, an effort that has taken on urgency amid a major diplomatic dispute with Beijing.
"After seven years of steady preparatio
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