Tokyo: Japan and the United States will jointly study developing rare earth mining in the waters around Minamitori Island in the Pacific, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Thursday.

Co-development of rare earth minerals was a key topic in her meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last week, Takaichi told a parliamentary session.

During Trump’s visit to Tokyo, the two countries signed a framework agreement for securing rare earth supplies to counter China’s dominance in the materials that are used in everything from cars to fighter jets. Show Full Article

There is an abundance of mud that potentially holds rare earths around Minamitori Island, some 1,900 km (1,180 miles) southeast of Tokyo, Takaichi said.

Japan plans to test the feasibility of raising rare earth mud fro

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