Australia Calls for Japanese Investment in Critical Minerals

Sydney, Oct. 7 (Jiji Press)–Australian resources minister Madeleine King has called for further Japanese investment in supply chains for critical minerals. At a Japan-Australia economic conference in Perth on Monday, King mentioned the increasing number of cases in which critical minerals and related processing technologies are subject to arbitrary export bans or regulations, apparently referring to China’s export restrictions on rare earths. Emphasizing the need for a more reliable and predictable market, the minister said the Australian government will work with key international partners to establish secure supply chains. King also pledged stable supplies of liquefied natural gas to Japan, saying Australia will never alter existing contracts or do anything that could impair Japan’s energy security. Regarding former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi’s election as the new president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday, King praised Takaichi’s historic achievement and said she looks forward to working with the country’s next administration. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]