The U.S. is eyeing Myanmar’s rare earths… A series of secret meetings with the military

Reuters reported on the 16th (local time), citing sources, that the United States recently held secret talks with the Myanmar military regime in Tokyo, Japan.

According to sources, more than 10 members of the U.S. delegation led by Michael Vance, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. State Department's Office of Intelligence and Research (INR), attended the meeting held in Tokyo last week. The details of the discussion with Myanmar participants were not immediately confirmed.

The United States is seeking Myanmar's cooperation in shutting down online fraud bases, including romance scams, that have caused billions of dollars in damage to its citizens.

Previously, on the 15th and 16th of last month, Assistant Secretary Vance met with President Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar. At the time, the two sides discussed the issue of closing online fraud bases originating from Myanmar and securing the release of American businessman Adam Castillo, who was detained at Yangon Airport in June.

A State Department spokesperson said the engagement with Myanmar was "based on our commitment to delivering real results for the American people, especially victims of transnational crime."

In addition, given that the United States has shown interest in securing rare earth minerals buried in Myanmar, there are also predictions that the United States will deepen related discussions with the Myanmar military.

U.S. officials are said to have discussed access to heavy rare earths buried in large quantities in Myanmar. Heavy rare earths are minerals used in a variety of products, from electric vehicles to wind turbines.

The United States is seeking to diversify its supply chain to reduce its dependence on China for rare earth elements, but Myanmar's major deposits are in areas controlled by ethnic armed groups opposing the military regime.

There is also talk of the possibility that China, a major importer of rare earth elements from Myanmar, will oppose US intervention.

Reuters analyzed that the fact that both the United States and the Myanmar military sat down at the negotiating table again after just a month suggests that they are both active in continuing dialogue.

The U.S. government is again expanding contacts with Myanmar's military regime, which had been the target of sanctions and diplomatic isolation following the 2021 coup.

“The Trump administration is looking at Myanmar from a strictly transactional perspective,” said Hunter Marston, director of Southeast Asia at the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank. “Myanmar’s key minerals and rare earth elements are probably the strategic assets the United States is most interested in in this country.”