China squeezes Japan on dual-use exports amid Taiwan spat – DW – 01/07/2026 | EUROtoday

Japan has criticized new Chinese restrictions on exporting so-called dual-use items to the nation, imposed after feedback from its prime minister on Chinese army drills close to Taiwan upset Beijing.

“A measure such as this, targeting only our country, differs significantly from international practice, is absolutely unacceptable and deeply regrettable,” Japan’s high authorities spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara saidd.

Dual use objects are items, software program or applied sciences that may have each civilian and army purposes, and may embrace sure key uncommon earths used to make objects like drones and laptop chips.

China in the meantime adopted up on Tuesday’s restriction by saying an investigation into imported dichlorosilane, a chemical fuel used in making seminconductors. It mentioned this adopted an utility from its home business, which had complained that costs for the chemical imported from Japan had fallen by 31% between 2022 and 2024.

“The dumping of imported products from Japan has damaged the production and operation of our domestic industry,” China’s Commerce Ministry alleged on Wednesday.

State-aligned media on Wednesday cited sources as saying that Beijing was additionally contemplating additional restrictions on essential uncommon earth minerals, however China’s authorities has not made any official statements on this course.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry has additionally criticized the restrictions, together with the prime minister’s spokesman Kihara, however Tokyo has not as but introduced any reciprocal measures in opposition to China.

Taiwan feedback from new authorities in Tokyo rile Beijing

China has been exhibiting mounting displeasure with feedback from Japan’s authorities and particular person politicians pertaining to Taiwan.

On November 7, lower than a month after taking workplace, Japanese Prime Minsiter Sanae Takaichi had instructed in feedback to parliament {that a} Chinese assault on Taiwan would represent an existential menace to Japan. She even implied that Japan’s army might doubtlessly mobilize in help of the US, if it have been to take steps to attempt to defend the administration in Taipei. Japan can also be rising its protection spending and redefining its army’s mandate, after a long time of it being outlined as a purely defensive drive since defeat in World War II.

China, which considers the island rightfully a part of its territory, has been urgent Takaichi to retract the feedback. Japan’s first feminine prime minister has not finished so, however did say on Monday that her authorities was “open to various opportunities for dialogue with China and has never closed the door.”

The tensions have been additional stoked on Tuesday when Japanese lawmaker Hei Seki, who was sanctioned by China final 12 months for “spreading fallacies” about Taiwan and different disputed territories, visited Taipei and known as Taiwan an unbiased nation. He mentioned he had made the go to to point out that China and Taiwan have been “different countries.”

“The nasty words of a petty villain like him are not worth commenting on,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning mentioned on Wednesday when requested to touch upon Seki’s go to.

Japan — just like the US, Germany, and lots of nations within the West — walks the nice line of formally adhering to the “One China” precept, not recognizing Taiwan as a rustic, whereas concurrently offering help to the island democracy and making an attempt to dissuade Beijing from any efforts to vary the established order by drive.

Tension contrasts with South Korea overtures and state go to

China’s new restrictions on Japan additionally coincide with the primary state go to by a South Korean president for the reason that COVID pandemic.

President Lee Jae Myung wrapped up a four-day journey on Wednesday. He and Chinese President Xi Jinping oversaw the signing of a number of cooperation agreements in areas like know-how, commerce, transportation and environemental safety.

Lee and South Korea additionally didn’t be a part of Japan’s authorities in condemning Chinese army drills close to Taiwan late in December.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery