China tightens Japanese trade restrictions as spat worsens

China tightens Japanese trade restrictions as spat worsens

BEIJING — China imposed export restrictions on 40 Japanese companies Tuesday, citing national security concerns, escalating a months-long row that has seen Chinese tourism to Japan plummet.

The spat between Asia's top two economies was sparked by comments from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November that Japan could intervene militarily if attacked Taiwan. The measures announced Tuesday cover exports of dual-use items — which can have civilian and military uses — to 20 Japanese entities, including five subsidiaries of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, as well as Japan's space agency.

The commerce ministry added an additional 20 Japanese organizations, including automaker Subaru, to a watch list, requiring stricter reviews of exported items that could be used for military purposes. The above measures are aimed at curbing Japan's 'remilitarization' and nuclear ambitions and are completely legitimate, reasonable, and lawful, a commerce ministry statement said.

Honest and law-abiding Japanese entities have nothing to worry about, it added. A Japanese trade ministry official told Agence France-Presse that Tokyo would take appropriate measures after analyzing the impact of the new curbs.

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.