On the 9th, China's Guangming Online published a commentary article titled, '"Extracting" rare earths from air conditioners: Why has Japan been pushed this far?'

The article cited Japanese reports. It introduced efforts being made, led by Mitsubishi Electric, to remove compressors from collected outdoor air conditioner units, extract permanent magnets containing rare earths such as neodymium, and reuse them after refinement.

Furthermore, it reported that trial calculations suggest about 35% of the rare earths needed for air conditioner manufacturing could be replaced with recycled materials, and the background to this is Japan's aim to reduce its reliance on rare earths from China as China strengthens export controls against Japan.

It also pointed out, as a noteworthy aspect, that 'Mitsubishi Electric is an important defense-related company in Japan, involved in fields such as defense electronics, radar, and missile systems.' It mentioned that on June 29, China's Ministry of Commerce added Mitsubishi Electric and 20 other Japanese companies and organizations to its export control list.

The article pointed out, 'In reality, the technology for disassembling air conditioners and extracting rare earths is complex and expensive. There are also challenges in ensuring recovery rates and purity. This initiative, which can be called 'resource self-defense,' highlights Japan's heavy reliance on China's rare earth supply.'

It then explained, 'From January to April this year, the export volume of seven types of rare earths from China to Japan decreased by 34% compared to the same period last year, and decreased by over 80% from March to April. In particular, exports of dysprosium and terbium to Japan have been zero since January this year, and yttrium exports also decreased by over 90% compared to the same period last year.' It stated, 'Japan's dependence on China is high, and for medium and heavy rare earths in particular, it relies almost entirely on imports from China.'

It also mentioned, citing estimates by the Daiwa Institute of Research, that 'if Japan were unable to import rare earths and other critical minerals from China for one year, Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) could decrease by 1.3% to 3.2%, and employment could decrease by 900,000 to 2.16 million people.' It emphasized that while Japan is searching for alternative supply sources, it is not easy, with some views suggesting that stable mining and commercialization of deep-sea rare earths around Minamitori Island would take more than 10 years.

After stating, 'Why has Japan been pushed this far?', the article claimed that pessimistic or cynical voices are rising even within Japan regarding the recovery of rare earths from air conditioners. It indicated the view that such moves by Japan demonstrate the 'accuracy, necessity, and timeliness' of China's strengthened export controls.

It also stated, 'Japan lacks the strategic calmness to squarely face history and uphold peace, the rational understanding to return to the development of its people's lives, and to coexist amicably with neighboring countries. Peace in East Asia was not easily obtained, and regional stability is not something that certain countries should be allowed to arbitrarily destroy.' It then asserted, 'Searching for rare earths by disassembling air conditioners is not just a joke. It reveals the expanding military ambitions of Japan's right-wing government and raises a danger signal for regional peace and world order.'