You are here

Like China, Japan considers buying resources abroad

Section: Daily Dispatches

Moves to Weaken Yen Not Over, Kan Says

By Mure Dickie and Michiyo Nakamoto
Financial Times, London
Tuesday, September 21, 2010

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9a1fa2dc-c5ac-11df-ab48-00144feab49a.html

TOKYO -- Japan stands ready to intervene again in foreign exchange markets but also plans to put in place broader economic and monetary policies that will help to weaken the yen, according to Naoto Kan, the prime minister.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Kan stressed that Tokyo's yen-selling intervention last week was forced by "drastic" exchange rate moves, a reference to the 15-year highs Japan's currency hit against the dollar following his victory in a ruling party leadership battle.

Mr Kan said there was a "common recognition" among G20 nations that overly rapid currency movements were undesirable and that he would seek to promote understanding of Japan's action in New York this week.

... Dispatch continues below ...



ADVERTISEMENT

Sona Resources Expects Positive Cash Flow from Blackdome,
Plans Aggressive Exploration of Elizabeth Gold Property

On May 18, 2010, Sona Resources Corp. (TSXV: SYS, Frankfurt: QS7) announced the release of a preliminary economic assessment for gold production at its flagship Blackdome and Elizabeth properties in British Columbia.

Sona Executive Chairman Nick Ferris says: "We view this as a baseline scenario for gold production. The project is highly sensitive to the price of gold. A conservative valuation of gold at $1,093 per ounce would result in a pre-tax cash flow of $54 million. The assessment indicates that underground mining at the two sites would recover 183,600 ounces of gold and 62,500 ounces of silver. Permitting and infrastructure are already in place for processing ore at the Blackdome mill, with a 200-tonne per day throughput over an eight-year mine life. Our near-term goal is to continue aggressive exploration at Elizabeth and develop a million-plus-ounce gold resource, commencing production in 2013."

For complete information on Sona Resources Corp. please visit: www.SonaResources.com

A Canadian gold opportunity ready for growth



While some European and US politicians have criticised Tokyo for acting unilaterally, Mr Kan made clear his government was ready to continue to intervene alone if necessary.

In his first interview since becoming prime minister in June, he said: "If there is a drastic change (in the currency), such intervention is unavoidable."

But Mr Kan stressed that Tokyo wanted to create a "total" package of measures to expand domestic demand and encourage a more appropriate currency level. One possibility, he said, was to use the yen's strength to invest in natural resources overseas, adding that continued efforts by the Bank of Japan to set appropriate monetary policy were also essential.

"I think it is necessary to combine economic policy and monetary policies that will be conducive to ... a (yen exchange rate) slightly lower than the current level," Mr Kan said.

The prime minister waved aside suggestions that Tokyo's intervention made it harder to persuade China to allow the renminbi to rise against the dollar.

Tokyo was suffering from drastic currency movements while concerns about Beijing centred on the maintenance of its dollar peg despite sustained economic growth, Mr Kan said. "I think the issues of China's renminbi and Japan's yen are completely different."

Mr Kan's visit to New York comes at a difficult time, with Beijing demanding the immediate release of a Chinese fishing boat captain detained after clashes with Japan's Coast Guard near disputed islands.

In spite of growing tensions, Mr Kan said: "I think that if it is dealt with calmly, it is entirely possible this will be a temporary problem."

Mr Kan will on Wednesday give a speech to a UN summit on the Millennium Development Goals at which he will highlight Japan's contribution with initiatives which involve healthcare policies for mothers and babies and an approach to basic education known as "School for All."

He said he would focus on two new initiatives that are intended to tap Japan's rich experience in social policy for the benefit of developing and poor nations.

* * *

Join GATA here:

Toronto Resource Investment Conference
Saturday-Sunday, September 25-26, 2010
Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
http://cambridgehouse3.com/conference-details/toronto-resource-investmen...

The Silver Summit
Thursday-Friday, October 21-22, 2010
Davenport Hotel, Spokane, Washington
http://www.silversummit.com/

New Orleans Investment Conference
Wednesday-Saturday, October 27-30, 2010
Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel
http://www.neworleansconference.com/redirect.php?page=index.html&source_...

* * *

Support GATA by purchasing a colorful GATA T-shirt:

http://gata.org/tshirts

Or a colorful poster of GATA's full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal on January 31, 2009:

http://gata.org/node/wallstreetjournal

Or a video disc of GATA's 2005 Gold Rush 21 conference in the Yukon:

http://www.goldrush21.com/

* * *

Help keep GATA going

GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at:

http://www.gata.org

To contribute to GATA, please visit:

http://www.gata.org/node/16



ADVERTISEMENT

Prophecy to Become Coal Producer This Year
with 1.5 Billion Tonnes of Resource

Prophecy Resource Corp. (TSX.V: PCY) announced on May 11 that it has entered into a mine services agreement with Leighton Asia Ltd. to begin coal production this year. Production will begin with a 250,000-tonne starter pit as planned in August, with production advancing to 2 million tonnes per year in 2011. Prophecy is fully funded to production and its management team includes John Morganti, Arnold Armstrong, and Rob McEwen.

For Prophecy's complete press release about its production plans, please visit:

http://www.prophecyresource.com/news_2010_may11.php