Japan is accelerating a decade-old plan to extract rare earths from the deep seabed, an ambitious initiative given extra impetus by the country’s drive to cut reliance on Chinese supply. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/12/japan/japan-rare-earth-deep-sea-mining/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #rareearths #minerals #economicsecurity #chinajapanrelations