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Japanese Minister’s Africa Tour Riles China as Tokyo Looks to Build Its Own EV Battery Metal Supply Chain

by Eric Olander
Japan's economy and industry minister Nishimura Yasutoshi. Image via NHK.

Japan’s Economy and Industry Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi arrived in Namibia on Sunday for the first leg of a five-nation Africa tour that focuses specifically on securing new supplies of critical resources needed to power electric vehicles.

Nishimura will also visit Angola, the DR Congo, Zambia and Madagascar as part of Tokyo’s “resource diplomacy” agenda that aims to lessen Japanese automakers’ dependence on Chinese suppliers of critical metals needed to manufacture EV batteries.

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