La China asserted on Thursday that its decision to ban the export of dual-use goods to Japan would only affect companies linked to the military sector, seeking to allay concerns about possible disruptions to supply chains, particularly in the sensitive area of rare earths used by the Japanese automotive industry.
Dual-use goods include products, software, or technologies that can have both civilian and military applications. They include certain rare-earth magnets, essential for manufacturing automotive components such as rearview mirrors, speakers, and oil pumps, and whose importance is even greater in electric vehicles.
"Civilian users will not be affected," he said. He YadongA spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated this during a press briefing. He emphasized that Beijing remained committed to the stability and security of global production and supply chains, without specifying whether rare earth elements were explicitly among the products targeted by the restrictions.
China maintains a control list of approximately 1,100 dual-use goods and technologies requiring an export license, regardless of the destination. This list includes several categories of medium and heavy rare earth elements, but it does not specify which products might be particularly affected by the ban targeting the Japan.
Relations between China and Japan have become strained in recent months, following statements by the Japanese Prime Minister in November suggesting that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could justify a military response from Tokyo. Pekin had then denounced the remarks as "provocative".
According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, exports to Japan intended for military use or likely to enhance Japanese military capabilities are prohibited, a measure presented by Beijing as aimed at curbing what it calls the remilitarization of Japan.
Japan, for its part, protested strongly. The Japanese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Takehiro FunakoshiChina summoned the Chinese ambassador to Tokyo to denounce the restrictions and demand their removal. China rejected the protests, according to a statement from its embassy.
This decision comes as Japan recently approved a record military budget, up 3,8%, bringing its annual defense spending to around 9 trillion yen, a development closely watched by Beijing in an increasingly tense regional context.
