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China-Japan-Koreas
Japan just found a 'semi-infinite' deposit of rare-earth minerals ‐ and it could be a 'game-changer' in competition with China
2018-04-14
Posted by:Skidmark

#12  In Mr. Miyagi accent: What is sound of monopoly breaking?
Posted by: Anomalous Sources   2018-04-14 23:57  

#11  China would probably have no qualms putting a bunch of guys in wet suits, giving them buckets, and sending them into the water.
Posted by: gorb   2018-04-14 23:28  

#10  Deep sea mining? That’s the kind of high-tech operation that Japan could easily do, but China surely is not ready for.
Posted by: trailing wife   2018-04-14 22:48  

#9  I guess Trump was right when he said they need us more than we need them. Seems like its happening quicker than I thought.
Posted by: Shake   2018-04-14 22:47  

#8  I mean Wake Island.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2018-04-14 20:23  

#7  Minamitori Island is not in the Sea of Japan. It's located somewhere in the middle between Tokyo and Guam.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2018-04-14 20:21  

#6  Might this help explain China's artificial island? How defensible is it?

Well, the Japanese have some experience with that, as does the Marine Corps.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2018-04-14 18:46  

#5  In January 2013, a deep-sea research vessel of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology obtained seven deep-sea mud core samples from the seafloor at 5,600 to 5,800 meters depth, approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) south of the island.[9]

The research team found a mud layer 2 to 4 meters beneath the seabed that is extremely concentrated in rare earth oxides (REO). Analytical results showed that the maximum REO content in the mud was up to 0.66% REO. The deposit compares in grade with the ion-absorption-type deposits in southern China that provide the bulk of Chinese REO mine production, which grade in the range of 0.05% to 0.5% REO.[10] [11]
Wikipedia

So why is it "news" today? Coincidence?
Posted by: Bobby   2018-04-14 17:34  

#4  Expect China to get far more aggressive in the Sea of Japan.
Posted by: DarthVader   2018-04-14 17:01  

#3  Chine claims Sea of Japan in ten....nine....
Posted by: Mecutio   2018-04-14 16:34  

#2  Just in time, right?

Maybe this was already part of Trump's calculus on trade negotiations.

Might this help explain China's artificial island? How defensible is it?

And it seems that we should be able to find alternatives to rare earths.
Posted by: gorb   2018-04-14 16:15  

#1  There went China’s silver bullet.
Posted by: Lowspark   2018-04-14 15:45  

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