Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister, expressed a position that China's export controls on dual-use items are unacceptable.
On the 11th, Takaichi said this in a pre-recorded NHK interview, saying, "We are strongly protesting to the Chinese side and also demanding a withdrawal."
She added, "We will respond calmly and resolutely in cooperation with the Group of Seven (G7)," and, with China's rare earths in mind, said, "We will firmly push to strengthen supply chains to reduce dependence on specific countries."
Earlier, on the 6th, China said it would ban exports to Japan of dual-use items that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. Some rare earths are included among these items.
Regarding this, the Mainichi Shimbun reported that "it is unclear which specific items will be covered or how strictly they will be regulated, but there is also a possibility of a broad impact on the economic activities of Japanese corporations."
In particular, Japan is focusing on dysprosium used in electric vehicles. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun has pointedly noted that "heavy rare earths such as dysprosium are essential for a wide range of advanced products, from electric vehicles to weapons."
Takaichi said, "We are continuing communication with China through diplomatic channels even now, and we will respond calmly and appropriately from the perspective of the national interest."
On Nov. 11, when Takaichi suggested "intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency," China has pressured Japan through measures such as an advisory against travel to Japan and a ban on imports of Japanese seafood.
However, as the economic impact remained limited, China is seen as having sharply raised the level of pressure by tightening export controls.