Australia Approves Key Mineral Project, Partners with Japan to Counter China's Rare Earth Monopoly

Central News Agency (Sydney, May 29) The Australian Copi Mineral Sands Project has been approved for operation. Rare earth expert Vlado Vivoda told CNA that because the project includes Japanese firms as strategic partners, it demonstrates a vision of combining Australian resources with Japanese technology, marking a significant step in breaking China's monopoly on the rare earth industry. The New South Wales government approved the project with a total investment of 693 million AUD (approx. 15.6 billion TWD). The project is expected to process 28 million tons of minerals over 18 years, producing titanium, zircon, and other rare earth concentrates. Led by RZ Resources, the project includes investments from Japan's Marubeni and JX Advanced Metals. Vivoda noted that Japanese expertise is crucial for midstream processing, helping to create an alternative supply chain outside of China.