Nikkei wrote that President Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday directing federal agencies to conduct a 100-day review of supply chain vulnerabilities for semiconductors, rare earth minerals, pharmaceutical ingredients, and electric-vehicle batteries and come up with measures to address any problems identified. The paper speculated that President Biden had China in mind in issuing the executive order and that Washington may seek cooperation with Japanese, Australian, South Korean, and Taiwanese companies to secure supply chains for these products. The paper also conjectured that Washington may urge Japanese firms not to use parts made in China if they wish to continue exporting to the United States. The paper wrote that it remains to be seen how effective the executive order will be because China is already very competitive in supplying these products. Asahi ran a similar report.