Japan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed an agreement Friday to cooperate in rare earth mineral mining in the African country, aiming to promote Japanese investment and expand supplies of resources critical for a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Congo, formerly known as Zaire, has major natural deposits of rare earth minerals such as cobalt, a crucial material in lithium-ion batteries used to power electric cars and other electronics. The Japanese government plans to encourage investment by Japanese companies in Congo's rare earth mining sector, introducing them to ...
