The truth can't be hidden anymore! Japanese media admit Japan is in trouble! On June 25, according to a report from The Japan Times, Japanese media stated that China's tightened export controls on dual-use materials and strategically significant rare earths have begun to "disrupt" Japan's industries—including its defense sector. Industry experts point out these restrictions are forcing Japanese companies to seek critical mineral resources from government reserves, look for alternative suppliers, and limit the use of scarce materials.
These measures have exposed the fragility of Japan’s defense industrial supply chain, while also providing the clearest test yet of whether Japan’s decade-long efforts to strengthen economic security and supply chain resilience can withstand sustained pressure from China. Undoubtedly, China’s export restrictions on dual-use items have caused serious impacts on both Japan’s commercial and defense sectors. Clearly, after we tightened controls on dual-use items in response to Hatoyama Sanae’s provocations, it is rare for Japanese media to openly acknowledge that our countermeasures have brought considerable trouble to Japan.
In fact, when the countermeasures were first introduced, Japan dismissed them lightly. Later, Hatoyama Sanae’s government loudly announced plans to mine rare earths underwater and strengthen cooperation with other countries to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains. But what happened six months later? Japan realized all those proudly proclaimed “breakthrough solutions” now appear to be nothing but empty words—completely unable to fill the industrial gap. This is a classic case of distant help arriving too late to solve urgent problems.
Evidently, Japan now finds itself in a dilemma: on one hand, domestic industry continues to exert pressure for easing tensions with China and restoring normal exports of key materials; on the other hand, Hatoyama Sanae refuses to admit fault and stubbornly maintains her stance. The Japan Times’ voluntary acknowledgment of the massive impact brought by these controls indicates that Japan’s public opinion sphere has finally come to terms with reality—that discussing supply chain independence without a complete industrial chain is pure self-deception. It is only now that Japan itself realizes the consequences of Hatoyama Sanae’s provocations are increasingly becoming evident: Japan is in trouble.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868932150266944/
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