China’s Ministry of Commerce claims the move against Japanese companies will prevent Japan from remilitarizing.
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In the latest development in a months-long diplomatic spat between the two countries, Japan has strongly protested China’s move to restrict exports of “dual-use” items to 20 Japanese entities that Beijing says could be used for military purposes.
Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Takashi Sato told a news conference that the Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s action on Tuesday was “deplorable” and the Japanese government “unacceptable.”
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Companies affected by China’s ban on exports of dual-use items that can be used for civilian or military purposes include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipbuilding group, its aerospace and marine machinery subsidiary, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japan’s National Defense Academy, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
The Chinese government said the export restrictions on dual-purpose items to Japanese companies were necessary to “protect national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation,” adding that the companies were involved in “strengthening Japan’s military power.”
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Tuesday that it would add 20 more companies to its export control watch list, including Japanese carmaker Subaru, oil company ENEOS and Mitsubishi Materials.
According to a statement posted on the Commerce Department’s website, Chinese exporters will be required to submit a risk assessment report for each company to ensure that “dual-military goods are not used for any purpose to enhance Japan’s military power.”
China has imposed similar restrictions on the United States and Taiwan, particularly as a form of political protest against Washington’s continued unofficial support for the autonomous island. The Chinese government claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out using force to achieve “unification.”
Japan and China have historically had a rocky relationship, but diplomatic relations deteriorated in November when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told members of the Diet that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would pose an “existence crisis” for Japan and could require military action.
Takaichi said that although Japan has a pacifist constitution that limits the use of force, Tokyo could legally activate the Self-Defense Forces if Taiwan was attacked.
Takaichi’s comments are among the clearest about the possibility of Japan becoming involved in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, prompting Japan to expand its military capabilities.
The Chinese government was furious at Gaoichi’s comments and discouraged Chinese people from visiting Japan, leading to a significant drop in tourism revenue from Chinese tourists.
In January, the Chinese government also imposed export restrictions to Japan on rare earths such as gallium, germanium, graphite and rare earth magnets that could be used for defense purposes, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S.-based think tank.
“These retaliatory measures highlight the growing tensions between China and Japan and serve as a sharp warning from China to countries that take a clear position on cross-Strait relations,” CSIS said at the time.
Although Tokyo does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, several remote islands, including Okinawa, are geographically closer to Taiwan than mainland Japan. Taiwan is also extremely popular with Japanese people.
