US and Japan move to loosen China’s rare earths grip — nations partner to build alternative pathways to power, resource independence

The US and Japan have signed a rare earths and energy cooperation agreement aimed squarely at China’s chokehold on critical tech supply chains. Announced on October 28 in Tokyo, the agreement commits both governments to securing mineral flows and accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear power.

The timing of this is obviously no accident. President Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, and today’s announcement served as a pointed signal that the US is actively…