Beijing’s stranglehold on rare earths is delivering a body blow to Japan’s industrial backbone, prompting frantic appeals for help from G7 partners and strategic friends. Fresh export halts have amplified anxieties, thrusting economic security into the spotlight.
Come Sunday, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama heads to America for pivotal dialogues on vital minerals. Defense chief Shinjiro Koizumi follows Thursday with U.S. counterparts. PM Sanae Takaichi’s upcoming huddle with South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung aims to fortify unity among U.S. allies in the region.
In Friday’s media briefing, Katayama invoked G7 solidarity against unfair monopolies via non-market means. China’s mineral playbook, she said, spells crisis for global economies and security frameworks.
Sparks flew post-Takaichi’s November Taiwan statement, eliciting China’s dual-use goods embargo that snares rare earths. Per Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa, gauging the damage is tricky; since April, the rare earth freeze—vital for vehicles and tech—has disrupted operations widely.
Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara pressed for frictionless rare earth trade internationally, slamming supply chain sabotage. Wall Street Journal insights reveal China’s cutoff of rare earths and magnets to Japanese buyers.
Japan’s 60% rare earth reliance on China, plus total dependence on heavies for green tech and defense, courts disaster. Pundits foresee downturns, fueling Japan’s deep-sea mining probes—a redux of 2010’s embargo woes.