Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
China has banned exports of “dual-use” goods to Japan’s military, as Beijing steps up a diplomatic row with Tokyo over comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi late last year on Taiwan.
China’s commerce ministry said any person or entity anywhere in the world would be punishable under the order, adding that it was directly related to Takaichi’s remark in November that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
“The recent erroneous remarks made by Japanese leaders regarding Taiwan, which hinted at the possibility of military intervention in the Taiwan Strait, constitute a gross interference in China’s internal affairs, a serious violation of the one-China principle,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
China’s latest move signals Beijing’s determination to carry the dispute into this year, as it presses Tokyo for concessions over what it alleges was a violation of its sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has threatened to use force if necessary to exercise control over it. It regards support for Taipei from the US and other countries as a violation of its internal affairs.
Takaichi, a security hawk from the rightwing of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party who took office in October, referred last year in parliament to a hypothetical situation in which a Chinese attack on Taiwan could be interpreted as an “existential threat” that would allow the Japanese Self Defence Forces to respond militarily.
Her comments went further than any sitting Japanese prime minister has in the past, implying that Tokyo could take military action without being attacked itself.
China has called on Japan to retract the comments. Tokyo has said that Takaichi’s comments did not represent a change in policy.
As the row escalated late last year, Beijing issued warnings to its citizens against travelling to Japan and announced sanctions against a former top Japanese military official who has advised Taiwan’s government. It is also set this month to take custody of the only two giant pandas in Japan, without plans to replace them.
On Tuesday, China’s commerce ministry said the “export of all dual-use items to Japanese military users, for military purposes, and for any other end-user purposes that could enhance Japan’s military capabilities is prohibited”.
It added that “any organisation or individual from any country or region that violates the above provisions . . . will be held legally liable”.
The announcement did not mention specific items but China’s list of dual use goods includes critical minerals such as gallium, germanium, antimony and graphite, advanced manufacturing equipment and machine tools, rare earths and magnetic materials and unmanned aerial vehicles, among other products.
Officials in Tokyo did not expect Beijing’s new measure to have a large impact, given the suite of existing export controls in place.
Japan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
