Australia's minerals czar courts Japan in critical minerals push

NAGOYA, Japan/SYDNEY -- Australia's resource minister said Japan will be a key source of investment and technology for her nation's drive to build supply chains for critical minerals that do not depend on China.

Speaking to Nikkei Asia on the sidelines of the Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference in Nagoya, Madeleine King said the two countries must boost cooperation to compete against China, which dominates the supply of rare earth minerals and the processing of lithium and nickel, crucial metals used to make batteries.