China, South Korea push for deep-sea mining as global talks begin

TOKYO -- China and South Korea are among the countries pushing for deep-sea mining as a United Nations body convenes a meeting in Jamaica on Monday to discuss setting guidelines for such activities, while critics warn of environmental risks.

Deep-sea mining projects to extract cobalt, copper, nickel, manganese and other key inputs for electric vehicle batteries are expected to play a critical role in meeting growing demand from the auto industry. But there are mounting concerns about the potential impact on marine ecosystems, and the nascent industry still lacks regulation.