China slaps export controls on Japan military for Taiwan remarks

The export of all dual-use items to Japan for defense purposes is prohibited effective immediately, China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Tuesday

China imposed controls on exports to Japan that could have military use, intensifying a dispute between Asia’s top economies over remarks Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made last year on Taiwan.

The export of all dual-use items to Japan for defense purposes is prohibited effective immediately, China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Tuesday. The sweeping restrictions apply to all goods that could enhance Japan’s military capabilities, it said, without elaborating.

“Japan’s leader recently made erroneous remarks on Taiwan, hinting at the possibility of military intervention in the Taiwan Strait,” a ministry spokesperson said in a statement. Those comments violated the One-China principle and were “malicious nature with profoundly detrimental consequences,” the spokesperson added.

Japan’s government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The curbs mark the latest move in a pressure campaign against Japan, after Takaichi suggested that Tokyo could deploy its military if Beijing attempted to seize Taiwan. Japan’s leader has refused to retract her comments, as China demands, maintaining that her country’s policy remains unchanged.

Dual-use exports as categorized by Beijing include aerospace engine components, graphite and its products, and certain tungsten-nickel-iron alloys.