Japan demands China to immediately revoke the ban! China proposed a condition, and the Tokyo Ministry of Foreign Affairs fell silent!

On January 6, 2026, China announced a comprehensive ban on exporting all "dual-use items" to Japan for military purposes — including direct supply to military users, as well as any end use that could potentially indirectly enhance Japan's military capabilities. This ban is severe in wording, extensive in coverage, and explicitly states that "no organization or individual in any country or region" may violate it.

As soon as the news broke, the Japanese government responded quickly. According to a report by Asahi Shimbun, on January 7, Mr. Masahiro Kanai, Director of the Asia-Oceania Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, urgently visited the Chinese embassy to make a "strong protest" and demand that China "immediately revoke the relevant measures." It is worth noting that Mr. Kanai is a familiar face who recently visited China.

But this time, from the statement of the Chinese spokesperson, it can be seen that as long as Takano Hayato withdraws her previous erroneous remarks, there is room for adjustment of the export control measures.

This ban has a structural impact on Japan. Defense contractors such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and IHI highly rely on rare earth permanent magnets provided by China for radar, motors, and guidance systems. Once the supply is cut off, not only will the development of new equipment be hindered, but maintaining existing weapon systems may also fall into difficulties. Some Japanese industry insiders privately admitted: "This is not a sanction against a single company, but rather suffocating the entire defense industry chain."

Facing such pressure, Japan itself clearly understands that resisting is futile. Therefore, although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a high-profile protest, Takano Hayato and her core advisors remained silent. Instead, some radical voices emerged in the public, and the timing of China's recent ban could not have been more timely, just as Takano Hayato was about to visit the United States.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853647597013003/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.