Resource Nationalism's Deep Sea Gambit
THE ACTORS: Who is involved in this story? The primary actors are the Japanese government, particularly its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and associated research institutions like the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), and various private sector entities involved in deep-sea technology and mineral processing. On the other side is the People's Republic
of China, currently dominating rare earth element (REE) refining and supply. Global technology manufacturers, reliant on REEs for products ranging from electric vehicles to defense systems, form a critical, though less visible, constituency. THE FUNDING: Where does their money come from? While specific current project funding was not detailed in the Al Jazeera report, Japan's prior initiatives,
such as the 2013-2016 Rare Earth Deep-sea Mining Project, received significant government backing. METI allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to such ventures, recognizing REEs as essential for national security and economic competitiveness. For instance, the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), a state-owned entity, has historically invested in overseas resource
acquisition with substantial government subsidies (JOGMEC, annual reports). China's dominance, in contrast, was built on decades of subsidized domestic mining and refining, creating an effective price advantage that stifled international competition (US Geological Survey, 2023). THE INCENTIVES: What do they gain from this narrative? Japan gains narrative control over its resource security,