U.S. and Japan plan world’s deepest undersea mine to challenge China

AI Summary

The U.S. and Japan plan to develop the world's deepest undersea mine to exploit rare earth deposits located near a small Japanese island. This endeavor aims to secure decades of industrial demand and reduce reliance on China for critical materials.

A tiny Japanese island sits astride deep-sea rare earth deposits — ones that could "meet centuries' worth of industrial demand," a U.S.-Japan statement said.