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Japan plans to mine rare earth metals in Viet NamTOKYO, Oct 23, 2010 (China Daily - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Japan plans to mine in Vietnam for rare earth metals used in high-tech manufacturing, officials said Friday. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung are expected to agree on the proposed deal in Hanoi later this month, a trade ministry official said. Japanese trade minister Akihiro Ohata said Vietnam has a promising potential for rare earths production, and Tokyo wants to jointly work with Hanoi on the exotic metals. Rare earths are crucial in advanced manufacturing such as computer disk drives, mobile phones and hybrid car components. Trade Ministry official Hideyuki Wakutsu said Japan and Viet Nam will set up a joint venture to mine rare earths in the Southeast Asian country. He gave no further details. "We want to secure a stable supply of rare earth minerals," Mutsuura said. Toyota, the world's No. 1 automaker, has a 20 percent stake in Toyota Tsusho. Shares in Toyota Tsusho rose 0.2 percent to 1,291 yen Friday, while those in Sojitsu were unchanged at 146 yen. To see more of the Asia News Network, go to http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/ Copyright (c) 2010, China Daily, Beijing / Asia News Network Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544). |