Kuala Lampur, May 17 -- Japan's latest push to diversify its rare earth and critical mineral supply chains away from China is not merely an economic adjustment.

It is a geopolitical recognition that both Southeast Asia and Latin America now constitute two of the most important strategic depth zones in the emerging contest over critical minerals, advanced manufacturing and technological sovereignty.

For decades, China dominated the processing and refining of rare earth elements, controlling between 70 to 90 per cent of global refining capacity across multiple strategic minerals.

This dominance was not accidental. It emerged from decades of state support, industrial planning, environmental tolerance and strategic foresight.

Yet the rise...