Japan extends continental shelf in search for rare minerals, drawing ire from China

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) — Japan on Saturday extended its designation of its continental shelf east of a series of Pacific islands southeast of the country, despite opposition from China, local media reported.

The move came into effect with a revised Cabinet order, designating a significant portion of the Ogasawara Plateau maritime area as part of its continental shelf to launch research on extracting maritime natural resources, including rare earth minerals, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Last month, Japan's Cabinet decided to issue decrees on the 120,000-square-kilometer (about 46,330-sq-mile) expansion in the plateau region, located on the east side of Father Island in the Ogasawara Islands.

However, the move triggered opposition from China and Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denounced the decision, saying that it "contravenes the stipulations of UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and universal practice."

Last month, Japanese Minister for Ocean Policy Yoshifumi Matsumura said his country would be able to exercise its sovereign rights to explore the continental shelf and develop natural resources.

Tokyo also said it confirmed the region had a cobalt-rich crust that includes rare metals exists used in electric vehicle batteries.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid