Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she will ask the United States to participate in the deep-sea mining of rare earths near Minamitorishima, a remote island in the Pacific, during a Japan-U.S. summit scheduled for next month.
In a Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. program Sunday evening, Takaichi said she and U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss deepening cooperation on economic security, adding that she hopes to accelerate efforts for the joint development of rare earths.
The Japan-U.S. summit will precede Trump’s planned visit to China in April. Takaichi said that the Free and Open Indo-Pacific initiative is a key pillar of her diplomatic policy, with Beijing’s hegemonic actions in mind.
“I hope to have the United States thoroughly committed to the initiative,” she said. (Jiji Press)
