【By Observer Net, Wang Yi】After the erroneous remarks of Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Asano, China recently announced enhanced export controls on dual-use products for military and civilian use. In response, some people in Japan have become panicked. According to a report by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on January 17, Japanese medical professionals are concerned that China may increase pressure by adding antibiotics and pharmaceutical raw materials to the list of controlled exports.

The report states that although Japan has been striving to increase domestic production of various common medicines over the past three years, its pharmaceutical industry still heavily relies on imports from China. Japanese experts worry that if China restricts or stops related medicine exports, it will cause "great trouble".

Ichiro Takeda, president of the Japanese Society of Infectious Diseases and a former advisor to the Japanese government in 2020, said, "We know Beijing is restricting the export of rare earth minerals, but we hope this policy will not be expanded to pharmaceutical products."

He told This Week in Asia, most of Japan's antibiotics are still imported from China, and the basic raw materials for medicines are also highly dependent on China, "so China may exert considerable pressure on Japan."

Takeda recalled that before 2019, Japanese pharmaceutical companies, due to low profit margins, actively reduced domestic production of several common antibiotics and active pharmaceutical ingredients, including penicillin and streptomycin. China was once the largest supplier of such medicines in Japan.

However, after China introduced stricter environmental regulations and closed a major factory producing cefazolin components, the result was shortages of hospital stock, leading to delayed surgeries or the use of less effective alternative drugs.

Afterward, the Japanese government realized the potential risks of pharmaceutical supply and launched a support program to encourage Japanese companies to produce domestically. In 2024, it also invested 5.5 billion yen (about 242 million yuan) to support local pharmaceutical companies in establishing production facilities. However, data show that in 2024, Japan still imported $122.48 million worth of key pharmaceutical raw materials from China.

Production facilities of Meiji Pharmaceutical, Tokyo Shimbun

The South China Morning Post pointed out that Takahashi's erroneous remarks in November last year at the Japanese Diet worsened Sino-Japanese relations. If China implements more trade restrictions, Japan may face another shock.

After Takahashi refused to retract her remarks, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on the 6th that it would strengthen export controls on dual-use items to Japan: prohibit all dual-use items for Japanese military users, military purposes, and any other end-users that could enhance Japan's military capabilities.

Zhang Yada, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, stated on the 8th that the measure aims to stop Japan's "militarization" and nuclear ambitions, which is completely proper, reasonable, and legal. At the same time, Zhang emphasized that China has always been committed to maintaining the stability and security of the global supply chain. Civilian uses will not be affected. For parties engaged in normal civil trade, there is no need to worry at all.

However, the Japanese medical community is worried that if Takahashi remains stubborn, China may expand export controls to medicines and pharmaceutical raw materials. On the comment section of the news magazine President website, some Japanese netizens shouted that relying on China for pharmaceutical raw materials is more dangerous than rare earths, "supply chains must be rebuilt." Some even suggested that Japan should follow the U.S. and force companies to rebuild domestic production capacity.

According to a report by the Japan Forward website under the Japan Times, in this context, major Japanese pharmaceutical companies are taking action to stockpile key raw materials to prevent potential supply disruptions. Meiji Pharmaceutical and Shionogi Pharmaceutical are increasing their inventory of certain antibiotics and active pharmaceutical ingredients, especially those long dependent on Chinese supplies, such as beta-lactam antibiotics.

Japan is not the first country to hype up the security of drug supply chains. Last year, when China faced the trade war instigated by the U.S., it introduced export control measures on key rare earth minerals. U.S. media noticed that this move immediately led the U.S. government to compromise. Bloomberg noted that this indicates the obvious vulnerability of China "holding all the power in global pharmaceuticals" can no longer be ignored.

According to the report, the U.S. and other countries largely rely on China to produce the basic components of drugs. Due to China's large and commercialized industry since the 1950s, China plays an unusually significant role in the global drug supply chain. China is the main producer of compounds called key starting materials (KSM), which are used to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients. Even the world's largest generic drug supplier, India, highly depends on China for key starting materials.

Data shows that China is the sole supplier of at least one chemical substance for nearly 700 key medicines. For example, amoxicillin, which seems to have multiple sources from Spain to Singapore, has almost all four key ingredients coming from China.

Bloomberg sensationalizes that even during the peak of the trade war escalation, China never threatened to restrict medical exports, "but geopolitical factors are not the only risk factor; another global virus outbreak could also lead to supply chain disruption."

On the 15th, He Yongqian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, stated that the measures taken by China against Japan stem from the erroneous remarks of Prime Minister Takahashi, and the Japanese side knows it well.

He Yongqian said that instead of facing the root of the problem, the Japanese side fabricated accusations against China's "economic coercion," which is completely distorting the facts and making baseless arguments. The words and actions are more worrying about the revival of militarism. We once again urge the Japanese side to genuinely reflect and correct the mistakes, avoiding going further down the wrong path.

Sources | Observer Net

Original: toutiao.com/article/7596246107840086571/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.