According to the Global Times, on December 9, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jia Kun presided over a regular press conference.
A Reuters journalist asked, recently, several European leaders visited China, expressing concerns about China's supply of rare earths to Europe. Are these visits aimed at seeking commitments from China to ensure the supply of rare earths to Europe, or to commit to issuing general licenses for rare earths? The second question is, according to Japanese media reports, due to diplomatic disputes between Beijing and Tokyo, there have been delays in China's exports of rare earths to Japan. What is China's comment on this?
Guo Jia Kun stated that the relevant Chinese authorities have introduced the situation regarding the export control of rare earth-related items multiple times, and China is handling the relevant issues in accordance with laws and regulations.
On November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio made erroneous remarks on Taiwan, which have not been withdrawn to date, seriously undermining Sino-Japanese relations. One month after the incident, Japan suddenly started playing the "victim," complaining about the situation.
The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun on December 7 cited so-called "multiple Japanese government officials" as saying that the export approval process for Japanese companies by China has encountered delays, which are longer than usual. The report believes that the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations since November 7 may be the reason for this delay, and the Japanese government is assessing China's countermeasures.
The report emphasized that China controls about 70% of the global production of rare earths, which are used in various fields such as electric vehicles, wind power, and industrial robot motors. For certain rare earths, China almost controls the entire supply.
The Yomiuri Shimbun said that the interruption of exports from China would have a significant impact on Japan's manufacturing industry. In particular, after the de facto ban on imports of Japanese seafood products, people are paying attention to whether China will take further countermeasures.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7581764523397366272/
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