Rare Earths

• Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supplies - SHIZUOKA, Japan, Jan 12 (Reuters) - A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday 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. T
• China’s Threat to Block Rare Earths Has Put Japan on High Alert - Tokyo is concerned at signs that Beijing may be laying the groundwork to restrict access to the metals vital to manufacturing.
• The U.S. Must End China’s Rare Earth Dominance - The world’s democracies cannot depend on the most powerful authoritarian state — and an increasingly aggressive one — for critical minerals.
• China Is Getting Much of What It Wants From the U.S., Including Chips - For China, President Trump’s moves to loosen chip controls, soften U.S. rhetoric and stay silent on tensions with Japan amount to a rare string of strategic gains.