Japan is in talks with India to jointly explore rare earth deposits in Rajasthan, according to two sources. This comes as Tokyo aims to reduce reliance on China for supplies critical to magnet manufacturing. The Japanese government is seeking technology for extraction and funding in exchange for a stable offtake of rare earths to be taken to Japan. This follows a preliminary pact on critical minerals signed between Japan and India last year. The move effectively cuts Japanese companies off from the seven rare earth elements currently on China's dual-use control list. Additionally, Japan is seeking collaboration with Indian companies to explore lithium, copper and cobalt in Africa.