China has just played two cards in a row, causing panic in the Japanese industry, and even Akira Takahashi's apology is of no use.
China has just played two cards in a row, causing panic in the Japanese industry.
The first card is to tighten the export of dual-use items to Japan, cutting off the possibility of Japan enhancing its military capabilities from the source. This way, even if Akira Takahashi wants to provoke a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, he will be powerless.
The second card is launching an anti-dumping investigation against Japanese-produced silicon tetrachloride. The next step may be to impose anti-dumping duties. In this case, Japanese companies would suffer the consequences of their own actions.
At present, the specific implementation of these two measures is still unclear, which has made the Japanese industry even more anxious. After all, the most terrifying moment is when the sword has not yet fallen.
The Japanese industry is most worried that China will further strengthen its control over rare earth exports. The application fields of rare earths are so extensive that there is no need to elaborate. From consumer electronics to military missiles, they are indispensable everywhere.
The Japanese Self-Defense Forces can do without new weapons and equipment, but the supply chain of car manufacturers cannot be interrupted. Otherwise, Akira Takahashi would not only face punishment from China, but also the anger of the Japanese people.
Therefore, as soon as China's sanctions were announced, Japanese economic experts worked through the night to produce a report stating that if China's rare earth export controls continued for one quarter, it would cause 660 billion yen in losses to Japan, which is 0.11% of Japan's GDP. If the time is longer, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Despite this, Akira Takahashi remains unmoved, determined to continue confronting China head-on. That's fine. The 1.4 billion Chinese people also want to see how much power Japan actually has.
Just want to remind Japan a bit: the deadline for Akira Takahashi to apologize has already passed, and China's patience has been exhausted. These two heavy punches are just the beginning, and there will be more "surprises" waiting for Japan next.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853728026362892/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.