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Japan announces it has begun successfully drilling and retrieving deep-sea sediment containing rare earth

2025–2026 China–Japan diplomatic crisis — Japan announces it has begun successfully drilling and retrieving deep-sea sediment containing rare earth minerals near the remote island of Minamitorishima in the Pacific Ocean, a

Published February 2, 2026· Updated October 28, 2026·1 min read

Context: 2025–2026 China–Japan diplomatic crisis.

Japan announces it has begun successfully drilling and retrieving deep-sea sediment containing rare earth minerals near the remote island of Minamitorishima in the Pacific Ocean, as the country seeks to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals for use in its defense industry and automotive industry. [https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16327883 (Asahi)]

Event summary via Wikipedia Current Events (2026-02-02).