Japan on Wednesday strongly condemned China's decision to ban the export to the archipelago of so-called "dual-use" goods, meaning goods that can have both civilian and military applications, calling the measure "absolutely unacceptable and deeply regrettable."
This new diplomatic tension comes amid already deteriorating relations between Japan et Chinafollowing statements by the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi believing that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute an existential threat to Tokyo. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, demanded a retraction of these remarks, which went unanswered.
"Such a measure, targeting only Japan, deviates significantly from international practice," said the Japanese cabinet secretary. Minoru CurlyHe stated this during a press conference. However, he indicated that it was still too early to accurately assess the impact on Japanese industry.
The goods in question include, in particular, certain rare earth elements, essential for the manufacture of semiconductors, drones, and electric vehicles, according to the Chinese daily newspaper. China DailyBeijing is reportedly considering going further by tightening export licenses for rare earths to Japan, a prospect deemed particularly worrying by analysts.
Despite diversification efforts undertaken since a similar episode in 2010, approximately 60% of Japan's rare earth imports still come from China. A three-month restriction could cost the Japanese economy up to 660 billion yen and reduce annual GDP by 0,11%, according to the economist. Takahide Kiuchi.
At this stage, however, Chinese customs data do not show any decline in rare earth exports to Japan, which even increased last November.
