Konflikti Kiinan merellä

[Osasto 31]

Kiinalainen näkökulma

https://amti.csis.org/chinese-perspective-rand-adiz-report/

Puhdasta manipulointia, kuten poliittiseen sodankäyntiin kuuluu.

 

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China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) in early January announced the expansion of its heavily-trafficked flight route M503. Authorities announced that the route, which previously accommodated only southbound flights over the Taiwan Strait, would be expanded into a north- and south-bound route and accompanied by the establishment of three extension routes servicing the cities of Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Dongshan.

Authorities in Taipei quickly condemned the announcement as a unilateral and destabilizing violation of a previous cross-strait agreement, and demanded an immediate halt to air traffic using the route. The United States also weighed in, with the American Institute in Taiwan expressing concern that the announcement was made without consultation with Taipei and unilaterally altered the cross-strait “status quo.” But why would the expansion of a previously-accepted route that falls on the Chinese side of the median line in the Taiwan Strait (albeit by just 4 nautical miles) garner such a strong response from Taipei? The dispute offers insights into the messy nature of air traffic in Asia, how the lack of a robust international flight regulation system contributes to that disorder, and the often-overlooked difficulties Taiwan faces due to its exclusion from most international bodies.

https://amti.csis.org/primer-m503-civil-aviation-asia/

 

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Kiinan johtoon periaatteessa loppuiäkseen valittu presidentti Xi Jinping lupaa kiinalaisille suuruutta tulevaisuudessa. Kiinan kansankongressin vuosikokouksen päättäneessä kokouksessaan Xi julisti Kiinan olevan lähempänä tavoitteitaan kuin koskaan.

– Historia osoittaa, että kaikki yritykset ja temput maan hajottamiseksi epäonnistuvat. Ne saavat kaikki osakseen kansan tuomion ja historian rangaistuksen. Palaakaan suuresta maastamme ei missään nimessä irroteta, Xi sanoi suosiotaan osoittavalle 3 000 ihmisen yleisölle.

Xin katsotaan viitanneen Taiwaniin, jota Kiina pitää kapinoivana maakuntanaan. Xi sanoi Kiinan kuitenkin pyrkivän "rauhanomaiseen yhdistymiseen".

Kiinassa epäillään, että Taiwanissa vuonna 2016 presidentiksi valittu Tsai Ing-wen pyrkii tekemään Taiwanista muodollisestikin itsenäisen.

https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10123999

Chinese president Xi Jinping has delivered a nationalistic speech in which he vowed the nation would “take our due place in the world” and was ready “to fight bloody battles against our enemies”.

Xi also promised “rejuvenation” and warned against attempts to erode China’s unity during a speech at the close of the annual session of the National People’s Congress, the country’s annual parliament often derided by experts as little more than a show that lacks serious policy debate.

This year the legislature removed term limits on the presidency, paving the way for Xi to rule for life. He was unanimously re-elected to a second term.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/20/xi-jinping-warns-fight-bloody-battles-chinas-enemies

 

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Taiwan said Wednesday it sent ships and planes to track a Chinese aircraft carrier which passed through the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing's leader gave the island a fierce warning against separatism and Washington expressed strong backing for Taipei.

The Liaoning and accompanying vessels entered Taiwan's air defence zone on Tuesday, the same day Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a blistering nationalistic speech -- warning against what he called any attempts to split China.

"All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history," Xi said in a speech ending the annual session of the National People's Congress.

But a senior US official -- visiting the island despite protests from Beijing -- said Wednesday that his country's willingness to defend Taiwan's democracy had never been stronger.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/C...r_sails_past_Taiwan_as_tensions_rise_999.html

 

[Mustaruuti]

 

[min3mat]

Kiina todennäköisesti aloittaa häivekoneiden sarjatuotannon ensimmäisenä aasiassa parin vuoden sisään, maavoimien kalusto alkaa olemaan jo suorituskyvyltään monen euromaan kalustoa vastaavaa tai jopa parempaa ja laivastolle rakennetaan sekä modernisoidaan ennätystahtiin aluksia.

Japani käytännössä vieläkin miettii lähteäkkö (varustelu)kisaan mukaan vai ei vaikka lähtölaukaus on ammuttu vuosikymmen sitten ja kilpakumppani juoksee jo puolivälissä rataa

 

[Mustaruuti]

Kiina todennäköisesti aloittaa häivekoneiden sarjatuotannon ensimmäisenä aasiassa parin vuoden sisään, maavoimien kalusto alkaa olemaan jo suorituskyvyltään monen euromaan kalustoa vastaavaa tai jopa parempaa ja laivastolle rakennetaan sekä modernisoidaan ennätystahtiin aluksia.

Japani käytännössä vieläkin miettii lähteäkkö (varustelu)kisaan mukaan vai ei vaikka lähtölaukaus on ammuttu vuosikymmen sitten ja kilpakumppani juoksee jo puolivälissä rataa

Jep. Japanilla on tähän asti ollut teknologinen ylivoima, eikä määrässäkään ole ollut valittamista, kuten esim. merivoimien osalta voi katsoa (155 sota-alusta): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Japan_Maritime_Self-Defense_Force_ships

Mutta Kiina kiihdyttää kovaa ja on tulossa rinnalle. On ymmärrettävää, että omia kykyjä ja operoinnin joustavuutta halutaan kehittää, vaikka jenkit onkin selän takana tukena.

 

[Osasto 31]

In major shake-up, Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force gets centralized command amid regional tensions

The Ground Self-Defense Force underwent its biggest organizational shake-up Tuesday, with command streamlined for flexible nationwide operations and the creation of amphibious forces tasked with defending remote islands.

The launch of the Ground Component Command to provide unified command over regional armies and the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, akin to the U.S. Marines, came as Tokyo seeks to beef up defenses against North Korea’s nuclear arms and missile programs and China’s maritime assertiveness.

“We are expecting more situations in which the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces have to work together to rapidly respond at a nationwide level against ballistic missile launches, attacks on islands and major disasters,” Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said at a news conference, emphasizing the role of the Ground Component Command in such scenarios.

A senior GSDF member said earlier that establishing a central command headquarters was a “deep desire” of the organization, which was established as part of the Self-Defense Forces in 1954.

Unlike the air and maritime branches of the SDF, the GSDF had no central headquarters to control its units across five regional armies, each operating under commanding generals. Therefore, orders had to be issued to each regional army to mobilize its divisions and brigades.

The GSDF’s command structure remained decentralized amid bitter memories of the Imperial Japanese Army’s intervention in politics and its role in wartime military aggression, some political experts say.

But a tougher regional security environment pushed the government to launch the Ground Component Command under its medium-term defense buildup plan approved in 2013. The command center will be headquartered at the GSDF’s Camp Asaka in Tokyo.

With all SDF branches now having central commands, the Defense Ministry expects to see smoother joint operations between the services. The new command is also expected to facilitate communication with the U.S. military in Japan.

The GSDF’s first full-scale amphibious operations unit — the other highlight of the reorganization — launched with around 2,100 members mainly drawn from the Western Army’s infantry regiment stationed at Camp Ainoura in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture.

The GSDF amphibious brigade is tasked with retaking islands, stretching southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan, if they are illegally occupied. The isles include Miyako Island, which is about 210 km from the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea that are claimed by China, which calls them the Diaoyu. Chinese government vessels have repeatedly entered territorial waters around the islands, creating tension.

But the amphibious brigade still appears to be a fledgling unit as uncertainty remains over the planned deployment of Osprey aircraft at Saga airport, which will play a key role in the transportation of troops.

The Ground Component Command will be headed by Lt. Gen. Shigeru Kobayashi, who formerly led the GSDF’s Central Readiness Force, and the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade by Maj. Gen. Shinichi Aoki, former deputy chief of staff of the Western Army.

 

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Earlier this month, the USS Carl Vinson became the first American aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam since the Vietnam War ended in 1975. Coming alongside the news that a record 23 nations from Southeast Asia and beyond would be joining biennial naval exercises in the eastern Indian Ocean, it was a potent reminder of just how eager the nations surrounding the South China Sea are to embrace powerful allies to fend off a rising China.

But as Beijing’s regional clout continues to grow, it can be hard for weaker nations to resist it, even with these allies’ support. Barely three weeks after the Vinson’s visit, the Vietnamese government bowed to Chinese pressure and canceled a major oil drilling project in disputed South China waters.

It was yet another sign of the region’s rapidly shifting dynamics. For the last decade, the United States and its Asian allies have been significantly bolstering their military activities in the region with the explicit aim of pushing back against China. But Beijing’s strength and dominance, along with its diplomatic, economic and military reach, continues to grow dramatically.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-winning-in-the-south-china-sea-idUSKBN1H42JY

China’s Liaoning carrier group has appeared in the South China Sea off Hainan, satellite photos show, after it was said to pass through the Taiwan Strait, in what analysts are describing as an “unusually large display of the Chinese military’s growing naval might.”

That is according to Reuters, which obtained the photos showing at least 40 ships flanking the aircraft carrier.

In addition to the scale of the exercise, observers said the movements were likely aimed at showing off inter-fleet capabilities.

“Judging by the images, it does seem they are keen to show that elements of the South Sea Fleet are able to routinely join up with the carrier strike group from Dalian in the north,” Collin Koh, a security expert at Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, was quoted as saying.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/th...rrier-just-led-massive-show-force-south-25109

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your...sits-south-china-sea-satellite-imagery-shows/

 

[Gyllis1]

Kiina todennäköisesti aloittaa häivekoneiden sarjatuotannon ensimmäisenä aasiassa parin vuoden sisään

Tähän pieni sivusaivartelu/välihuutelu: Japsit kokoonpanevat 38 tilaamastaan 42:sta koneesta. Ensimmäiset 4 laitettiin Teksasissa lämärin tehtaalla nippuun, loput hoitaa Mitsubishi Japanissa. Ensimmäinen noista 38 koneesta valmistui jo viime vuoden puolella.

 

[min3mat]

Tähän pieni sivusaivartelu/välihuutelu: Japsit kokoonpanovat 38 tilaamastaan 42:sta koneesta. Ensimmäiset 4 laitettiin Teksasissa lämärin tehtaalla nippuun, loput hoitaa Mitsubishi Japanissa. Ensimmäinen noista 38 koneesta valmistui jo viime vuoden puolella.

Kokoonpanivat vai kokoonpanevat? Periaatteessa Kiina on jo aloittanut massatuotannon kun valmistuslinjoja on tällä hetkellä 3-4 kpl joista jokainen tuottaa n. 1kpl kuukaudessa / 10kpl vuodessa j-20:tä. Valmistuneita koneita, nelisen protoa mukaanlukien on tähän asti tehtynä noin 30kpl ja uusia tuotantolinjoja pitäisi tulla 1kpl per vuosi lisää. Kotimaisen moottorin kanssa on ilmeisesti vielä ongelmia minkä takia käyttävät vanhempaa lisenssimoottoria nykyisissä tuotantolinjoissa, seuraavien valmistuslinjojen lähtiessä tuottamaan uuden moottorin omaavaa versiota.

 

[Gyllis1]

Kokoonpanivat vai kokoonpanevat? Periaatteessa Kiina on jo aloittanut massatuotannon kun valmistuslinjoja on tällä hetkellä 3-4 kpl joista jokainen tuottaa n. 1kpl kuukaudessa / 10kpl vuodessa j-20:tä. Valmistuneita koneita, nelisen protoa mukaanlukien on tähän asti tehtynä noin 30kpl ja uusia tuotantolinjoja pitäisi tulla 1kpl per vuosi lisää. Kotimaisen moottorin kanssa on ilmeisesti vielä ongelmia minkä takia käyttävät vanhempaa lisenssimoottoria nykyisissä tuotantolinjoissa, seuraavien valmistuslinjojen lähtiessä tuottamaan uuden moottorin omaavaa versiota.

Siellä ne on kai koneet linjalla.
Muoks linkki lisätty
https://www.defensenews.com/air/201...but-industry-hiccups-delay-fighters-supplies/

Japan has ordered 42 F-35As, with the first four assembled at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility and the remaining 38 aircraft assembled at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ final assembly and checkout, or FACO, facility in Nagoya, Japan. The first F-35A rolled out of the FACO facility in June 2017, which has also been selected to be the facility for the F-35’s North Asia-Pacific region‘s heavy airframe maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade.


The aircraft touched down at Misawa in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture on Friday, where it was welcomed in an arrival ceremony by representatives of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. This is the first of 10 JASDF F-35As slated to arrive in Misawa over the upcoming Japanese fiscal year.

 

[ctg]

Laitan tänne

It took China just 11 hours to retaliate against the United States for proposing tariffs on some 1,300 Chinese products, but Chinese officials are holding back on taking aim at their largest American import: government debt.


In a tit-for-tat response to the Trump administration’s plan for 25 percent duties on $50 billion of Chinese imports, China hit back with its own list of similar duties on key American imports including soybeans, planes, cars, beef and chemicals. But officials signaled no interest for now in bringing their vast holdings of U.S. Treasuries to the fight.


China held around $1.17 trillion of Treasuries as of the end of January, making it the largest of America’s foreign creditors and the No. 2 overall owner of U.S. government bonds after the Federal Reserve. Any move by China to chop its Treasury portfolio could inflict significant harm on U.S. finances and global investors, driving bond yields higher and making it more costly to finance the federal government.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...nuclear-option-in-u-s-trade-war-idUSKCN1HB34M

 

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In early March, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and its escort made a port call to Da Nang in Vietnam. It was the first visit of a U.S. aircraft carrier to Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War more than 40 years earlier. At the welcome ceremony, U.S. 7th Fleet commander Vice Admiral Philip Sawyer told the audience he hoped the visit would promote a relationship between Vietnam and the United States, and provide a foundation to improve ties in the future. Sawyer also said he would “greatly look forward” to bringing a U.S. submarine to Vietnam someday.

The visit of the Carl Vinson was part of a growing trend of foreign naval vessels that have visited Vietnamese ports in recent years. In June 2017, the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain conducted a “routine technical stop” in Cam Ranh Port, Vietnam. Other naval vessels including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, joined the Carl Vinson in March.

In addition to port visits, U.S. Navy destroyers have conducted several highly publicized freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) around Chinese-held features in the South China Sea, challenging territorial sea claims deemed excessive by the United States. The pace of these FONOPs has increased year on year; while just one FONOP took place in 2015, the administration of former president Barack Obama authorized three FONOPs in 2016. In May 2017, the Trump administration accelerated the tempo for FONOPs in the South China Sea; the U.S. Navy officially carried out four separate FONOPs May to October last year. Two have already taken place in the first three months of 2018.

But U.S. navy vessels are not the only foreign ones active in the region. Many Japanese naval ships have called on Vietnamese ports recently. Significantly, the helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183) conducted its first overseas voyage in 2017, when it visited Vietnam. Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) is rumored to have plans for converting the Izumo class, currently comprising the JMSDF’s two largest warships, into true aircraft carriers capable of supporting aircraft like the F-35 Lightning. In this light, the first overseas trip of the Izumo could be just one piece of an increased international presence by the JMSDF under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—an increased presence that would be planned to counter Chinese influence.

Before the Izumo’s port call, the French came around as well. The French Navy amphibious assault ship Mistral and frigate Courbet visited Vietnam in April 2017. Australian and Indian warships, too, made port calls in Vietnam in 2017. Australia sent the HMAS Ballarat, an Anzac-class guided missile frigate, for a five-day visit to the central city of Da Nang. In September, the Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Satpura (F48) and the anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kadmatt (P29) visited Hai Phong.

The United Kingdom may join the party by sending warships to Vietnam, too. During a two-day visit to Sydney and Canberra, The Australian quoted UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson as saying that the HMS Sutherland, an anti-submarine frigate, would sail through the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation rights sometime in the coming months . In June 2017, The Guardian also reported UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson as having committed the country’s two brand-new aircraft carriers to freedom of navigation exercises in South China Sea.

It is worth highlighting that these port calls were conducted by—among others—all four members of the revived quadrilateral security cooperation framework, also called the “Diamond Alliance” or “the Quad”. Most analysts point to the developments and increased presence of foreign vessels as a response to China’s conduct in the South China Sea, especially its reclamation activities and construction of seven fortified outposts in the Spratly Islands.

In modern history, gunboat diplomacy has served as a signaling tool exercised by great powers. The United States declared itself a maritime power with the Great White Fleet launched by Theodore Roosevelt in the early 20th century. Compared to China and other major powers, Vietnam has only a very small navy. But Vietnam, through its foreign relations with states outside of the region, has been able to enact a sort of reverse gunboat diplomacy, by bringing the ships of powerful allies to its shores as a deterrent against Chinese aggression. If Vietnam hopes to expand its naval diplomacy with foreign partners, the South China Sea presents a great opportunity for mutual interests to meet. Whether in international trade, geostrategy, or natural resources, the South China Sea presents itself as an invaluable crossroads. Geopolitically, it constitutes a bridge between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and serves as a gate for Chinese warships seeking to expand westward. By encouraging Australia, India, Japan, and the United States to engage more proactively in the South China Sea and ensuring a regional welcome for the Quad, Vietnam protects its own interests and those of foreign powers with the vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.

https://amti.csis.org/gunboats-gather-south-china-sea/

 

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Mielenkiintoinen tutkielma Kiinan Uudesta Silkkitiestä

China unveiled the concept for the Twenty-First Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) in 2013 as a development strategy to boost infrastructure connectivity throughout Southeast Asia, Oceania, the Indian Ocean, and East Africa. The MSR is the maritime complement to the Silk Road Economic Belt, which focuses on infrastructure development across Central Asia. Together these initiatives form the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative designed to enhance China’s influence across Asia.

There is a shortage of infrastructure investment to meet the needs of developing nations across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and most nations have welcomed the opportunity to bid for Chinese funding. At the same time, there are growing questions about the economic viability and the geopolitical intentions behind China’s proposals. Thus far MSR initiatives have mainly been concentrated in the littoral states of the Indo-Pacific region, especially port-development projects, which is raising questions about whether these investments are economic or military in nature. These large-scale investments are also structured in ways that invite questions about the potential for China to exert undo leverage over the domestic and foreign policies of heavily indebted recipient countries.

To shed light on some of these themes, CSIS has commissioned seven experts to unpack the economic and geostrategic implications of China’s infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific region under the MSR. Their research is presented in this volume. The essays begin with analysis of four infrastructure projects, three by China under MSR and one by India as a counter to MSR.

https://amti.csis.org/chinas-maritime-silk-road-implications/

 

[Osasto 31]

Japan activates first marines since WW2 to bolster defenses against China

SASEBO/TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) - Japan on Saturday activated its first marine unit since World War Two trained to counter invaders occupying Japanese islands along the edge of the East China Sea that Tokyo fears are vulnerable to attack by China.

In a ceremony held at a military base near Sasebo on the southwest island of Kyushu, about 1,500 members of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) wearing camouflage lined up outside amid cold, windy weather.

“Given the increasingly difficult defense and security situation surrounding Japan, defense of our islands has become a critical mandate,” Tomohiro Yamamoto, vice defense minister, said in a speech.

The troops conducted a 20-minute mock public exercise recapturing a remote island from invaders.

The formation of the Japanese marine brigade is controversial because amphibious units can project military force and could, critics warn, be used to threaten Japan’s neighbors. In its post World War Two constitution Japan renounced the right to wage war.

The brigade is the latest component of a growing marine force that includes helicopter carriers, amphibious ships, Osprey tilt-rotor troop carriers and amphibious assault vehicles, meant to deter China as it pushes for easier access to the Western Pacific.

China, which dominates the South China Sea, is outpacing Japan in defense spending. In 2018, Beijing which claims a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea controlled by Tokyo, will spend 1.11 trillion yuan ($176.56 billion) on its armed forces, more than three times as much as Japan.

The activation of the 2,100 strong ARDB takes Japan a step closer to creating a force similar to a U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) able to plan and execute operations at sea far from its home base.

“They’ve already demonstrated the ability to put together an ad hoc MEU. But to have a solid, standing MEU capability requires concerted effort,” Grant Newsham, a research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies.

“If Japan put its mind to it, within a year or year and a half it could have a reasonable capability.”

Newsham, who helped train Japan’s first amphibious troops as a U.S. Marine Corps colonel liaison officer assigned to the Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF), said Japan still needs a joint navy-army amphibious headquarters to coordinate operations as well as more amphibious ships to carry troops and equipment.

Japanese military planners are already mulling some of those additions. Its Air Self Defense Force (ASDF) wants to acquire F-35Bs to operate from its Izumo and Ise helicopter carriers, or from islands along the East China Sea, sources have told Reuters.

The United States last month deployed its F-35Bs for their first at-sea operations aboard the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship, which is based in Sasebo. The Kyushu port is also home to Japan’s Ise and close to the ARDB’s base.


Separately the GSDF may acquire small amphibious ships up to a 100 meters (328.08 ft) long to transport troops and equipment between islands and from ship to shore, two sources familiar with the discussion said. Japanese ground forces have not operated their own ships since World War Two.

“The idea is to bring forces and gear on large ships to the main Okinawa island and then disperse them to other islands on smaller vessels,” said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to talk to the media.

 

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SASEBO/TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) - Japan on Saturday activated its first marine unit since World War Two trained to counter invaders occupying Japanese islands along the edge of the East China Sea that Tokyo fears are vulnerable to attack by China.

In a ceremony held at a military base near Sasebo on the southwest island of Kyushu, about 1,500 members of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) wearing camouflage lined up outside amid cold, windy weather.

“Given the increasingly difficult defense and security situation surrounding Japan, defense of our islands has become a critical mandate,” Tomohiro Yamamoto, vice defense minister, said in a speech.

The troops conducted a 20-minute mock public exercise recapturing a remote island from invaders.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ter-defenses-against-china-idUSKCN1HE069?il=0

 

[ctg]

A Chinese embassy spokesman has said the idea that China is planning to establish a military base in Vanuatu is “ridiculous”.

Australia’s Fairfax Media reported on Tuesday that China was eyeing a base in the Pacific nation. “That’s impossible,” said Chen Ke, a spokesman for the ambassador to Vanuatu.

A senior Vanuatu government adviser concurred: “That conversation was never on the table.” The adviser claimed detailed knowledge of relevant matters in two key ministries and insisted that the topic was never even hinted at. They went on to suggest that the source of the Fairfax story was not the government of Vanuatu.

Fairfax reported there had been informal discussions between China and Vanuatu, but no formal offer, about a military buildup. China has diplomatic relations with many Pacific nations and is a major backer of development projects in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ith-vanuatu-about-south-pacific-military-base

 

[ctg]

Japanese researchers have mapped vast reserves of rare earth elements in deep-sea mud, enough to feed global demand on a “semi-infinite basis,” according to a new study.

The deposit, found within Japan’s exclusive economic zone waters, contains more than 16 million tons of the elements needed to build high-tech products ranging from mobile phones to electric vehicles, according to the study, released Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports.

The team, comprised of several universities, businesses and government institutions, surveyed the western Pacific Ocean near Minamitori Island.

In a sample area of the mineral-rich region, the team’s survey estimated 1.2 million tons of “rare earth oxide” is deposited there, said the study, conducted jointly by Waseda University’s Yutaro Takaya and the University of Tokyo’s Yasuhiro Kato, among others.

The finding extrapolates that a 2,500-sq. km region off the southern Japanese island should contain 16 million tons of the valuable elements, and “has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world,” the study said.

The area reserves offer “great potential as ore deposits for some of the most critically important elements in modern society,” it said.

The report said there were hundreds of years of reserves of most of the rare earths in the area surveyed.

The team has also developed an efficient method to separate valuable elements from others in the mud.

The world relies heavily on China for rare earths, with Beijing producing most of the elements currently available on the market.

But Beijing has severely restricted exports of these products at times of diplomatic tension.

In 2010, for example, Japanese manufacturers faced serious supply shortages as China limited the valuable exports.

That came after Japan arrested the captain of a Chinese trawler that was involved in a run-in with the Japan Coast Guard near the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands, which are also claimed by China, where they are known as the Diaoyus.

The Japanese study stressed the importance of the efforts to develop efficient and economic methods to collect the deep-sea mud.

“The enormous resource amount and the effectiveness of the mineral processing are strong indicators that this new (rare-earth rich mud) resource could be exploited in the near future,” the study said.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...maps-semi-infinite-trove-rare-earth-elements/

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