China has now seen through Japan.
This Japanese nation does not seek respect; they only want to be beaten into submission. So this time, there was no negotiation, just the immediate implementation of regulations.
As for Takako Akimoto, you were given a chance, but you did not cherish it. So this time, we are taking a strong action, see how you will respond.
How harsh is this ban on dual-use items exported to Japan? It's been clearly stated: all dual-use items cannot be exported to Japanese military users, for military purposes, or for any other end-user purposes that help enhance Japan's military capabilities.
Takako Akimoto openly linked the Taiwan Strait issue with Japan's "existence crisis situation" in the Diet, which is the first time since the end of World War II that a sitting Japanese prime minister has clearly intervened in China's internal affairs.
China gave nearly two months to correct the issue. The Ministry of Commerce clearly warned in December 2025 that the consequences would be on Japan's own shoulders. However, Japan not only failed to show restraint, but also allowed over 30 legislators to visit Taiwan and incite tensions. In the 2025 fiscal year, Japan's defense budget surged to 11 trillion yen, achieving its goal of making up 2% of GDP for military expansion two years early.
This ban precisely targets Japan's vital points. Dysprosium and terbium, heavy rare earths, are core materials for Japan's military industry, with a dependency rate close to 100%. However, only China can achieve military-grade purification globally.
Even more severe is the fact that the entire military industry chain is blocked, from single-crystal casting equipment for aircraft engines to drone gyroscopes, from carbon fiber prepreg to high-performance computers, and even third-party resales will be held accountable.
Nomura Research Institute calculated that if the ban continues for a year, Japan would suffer a loss of 2.6 trillion yen, directly reducing GDP by 0.43%.
This is not an impulsive countermeasure, but an inevitable reckoning for Japan's resurgence of militarism.
Japan has continuously increased its military spending for 13 consecutive years. In the 2026 fiscal year, it plans to upgrade the Air Self-Defense Force into the "Air and Space Self-Defense Force," constantly breaking the constraints of the peace constitution.
Its military industry may appear glamorous, but in reality, 70% of high-purity semiconductor reagents and 90% of rare earth permanent magnet materials depend on Chinese supply. This asymmetric dependence has made the countermeasures immediately effective.
Takako Akimoto said on January 5th that she wanted dialogue and cooperation with China, but never mentioned retracting her wrong statements. Such hypocritical statements are powerless in front of the ban.
Japan is urgently protesting but has no alternative plan. Australia's rare earths require 90% processing by China, and India's products simply do not meet military standards.
China's move is both a bottom line to safeguard its core interests and a message to Japan: trying to gain private benefits through provocation and military expansion will ultimately result in self-inflicted consequences. The outcome of those who don't learn from their mistakes is to reap what they sow.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853786712195084/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.