Japan expands continental shelf in search of rare metals amid China’s opposition
- China is a major producer of rare metals, which are crucial for hi-tech products such as batteries and semiconductors
A revised Cabinet order took effect designating a significant portion of the Ogasawara Plateau sea area as part of its continental shelf, an area of around 120,000 square kilometres. Its move to enlarge the shelf has triggered opposition from China.
“The expanded continental shelf represents around half of the area of Japan’s Honshu main island,” said Yoshifumi Matsumura, minister for ocean policy, on June 25 when the Cabinet approved the expansion.
“We will be able to exercise our sovereign rights to explore the continental shelf and develop natural resources,” he said.
The government said it has confirmed the existence of a cobalt-rich crust, including rare metals, in the region. Cobalt is a metal that is used for electric vehicle batteries.
The enlargement of the continental shelf, a part of a continent submerged in a relatively shallow part of the sea, was first proposed in an ocean policy the Japanese government adopted in 2014.