CIAO DATE: 08/2013
July 2013
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Japan continues to grapple with a challenge that has befuddled it since the early days of its rise as an industrial power: it suffers from a scarcity of the natural resources most critical to its economic well-being and national security. This is especially troubling now compared to recent decades as power dynamics across the Eurasian landmass are in flux, with China, Russia, Iran, and others flexing their muscles or otherwise acting in ways not conducive to a stable international environment. The confluence of these economic and security concerns could prove troublesome for Asia and the United States.
Resource link: Ensuring Japan's critical resource security: Case studies in rare earth element and natural gas supplies [PDF]