The United States and Myanmar's military government held secret talks in Tokyo last week, according to Reuters, which cited three people with knowledge of the engagement, and Seoul Economic Daily, which says Reuters reported the meeting on October 16. It was the second meeting in a month, and it matters to anyone building motors for EVs or robots, because Myanmar holds heavy rare earths, the hard-to-source ingredient in strong magnets.
Reuters says more than a dozen U.S. officials attended, led by Michael Vance, an assistant secretary in the State Department's intelligence and research bureau. We have not independently verified his title or the head count. Who sat across the table for Myanmar, and what was said, could not be established by Reuters.
Fraud camps are the stated goal
According to the report, a main aim was to get Myanmar's help in closing online fraud camps that have drained billions of dollars from Americans, largely through romance scams. Many sit in areas held by militias allied with the military, and some of the proceeds are believed to reach the junta. The first round, a month earlier in the capital Naypyidaw, dealt with freeing an American businessman and the same crackdown.
Washington had kept the junta at a distance since the 2021 coup, so two meetings in four weeks suggest a change in approach.
Where the rare earths come in
Some observers read the talks as a door to Myanmar's rare earths, and U.S. officials are said to have raised access to big heavy rare earth deposits, used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. Washington wants to lean less on China for these materials.
There are obstacles. The main deposits sit in areas run by ethnic armed groups fighting the junta, so a deal with the military would not automatically put the ore within reach. China, the chief buyer of Myanmar's rare earths, might also object to American involvement. Hunter Marston of Australia's Lowy Institute said critical minerals and rare earths look like the strategic prize drawing U.S. interest.
Nothing here is a deal. The account rests on unnamed sources, the rare earth angle is described as observers' reading and reported discussion, and we haven't seen a statement from either government. Reuters says Japan's foreign ministry would only say it had been "communicating as necessary" with both sides.
Watch for official confirmation and a third round of talks. Would you accept U.S. engagement with a military junta if it eased the rare earth squeeze on EVs and robots?
Sources
- 1.U.S. and Myanmar Hold Secret Talks in Tokyo, Eyeing Rare Earths · Seoul Economic Daily
- 2.US holds fresh talks with Myanmar military government in Tokyo · Cyprus Mail (Reuters report)
- 3.US, Myanmar hold more talks: sources · Taipei Times (Reuters report)
Reported by the WattsUpNext desk from the sources linked below. Spot an error? Tell us at corrections@wattsupnext.com.
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