Japan unveiled a five-year goal on Saturday for business projects totaling $19 billion in Central Asia as Tokyo seeks greater influence in the resource-rich region. The announcement followed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's hosting of an inaugural summit with leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Tokyo. The move aims to diversify supplies of rare earths and reduce dependence on China.
Japan unveiled a five-year goal on Saturday for business projects totaling $19 billion in Central Asia, aiming to boost its influence in the resource-rich region. The announcement came after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted an inaugural summit in Tokyo with leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
A joint statement declared that Japan "set a new target of business projects at a total amount of 3 trillion yen in 5 years in Central Asia." Like the United States and the European Union, Japan is attracted to the region's vast, largely untapped natural resources to diversify rare earth supplies and lessen reliance on China.
"It is important for Central Asia, blessed with abundant resources and energy sources, to expand its access to international markets," the statement noted. The leaders agreed to promote cooperation for strengthening critical minerals supply chains, while committing to economic growth and decarbonization.
They also held separate summits this year with Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping, and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. Tomohiko Uyama, a professor at Hokkaido University specializing in Central Asian politics, told AFP: "Natural resources have become a strong focus, particularly in the past year, because of China's moves involving rare earths," referring to Beijing's tight export controls introduced this year.
The leaders agreed to expand cooperation on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, a logistics network to Europe bypassing Russia, and efforts toward "safe, secure, and trustworthy Artificial Intelligence."
Tokyo has long urged Japanese businesses to invest in the region, though they remain cautious. China, which borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, positions itself as a key commercial partner through massive infrastructure projects; Xi visited Astana in June. The former Soviet republics still view Moscow as a strategic partner but have been wary since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Kazakhstan is the world's top uranium producer, Uzbekistan holds vast gold reserves, and Turkmenistan is rich in gas. Mountainous Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are developing new mineral deposits, but exploitation is challenging in these impoverished, remote terrains.
