The US president, who is on the second leg of a week-long Asia tour, and new Japan PM hail new ‘golden age’ of relations
Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has vowed to realise a “golden age” in her country’s relations with the US at the start of a meeting with Donald Trump in Tokyo.
Trump, who is in Japan on the second leg of a week-long tour of Asia, and Takaichi quickly signed an agreement laying out a framework to secure mining and processing of rare earths and other critical minerals. It follows China’s recent decision to tighten export controls on the materials, which are crucial for a wide range of products. Trump is scheduled to meet China’s Xi Jinping in South Korea this week for high stakes talks amid a bruising trade war.
The countries plan to cooperate through use of economic policy and coordinated investment to accelerate development of diversified, liquid, and fair markets for critical minerals and rare earths, the White House said in a statement.
The objective of the deal is “to assist both countries in achieving resilience and security of critical minerals and rare earths supply chains”, the statement said.
