Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supplies - SHIZUOKA, Japan, Jan 12 (Reuters) - A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in rare earths, part of Tokyo's drive to curb its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing tightens supply. T
Japan says China's dual-use export ban 'unacceptable', rare earths in crosshairs - Japan's top government spokesperson said on Wednesday that China's ban on exports of dual-use items to the country was "absolutely unacceptable and deeply regrettable", as a diplomatic dispute between Asia's top two economies ramped up. D