China takes action against Japan to safeguard national interests, while Japanese right-wingers shout: We are not afraid!
On January 6th, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued its first notice of 2026, targeting Japan. According to the notice, starting from the 6th, China will strengthen export controls on dual-use items, and such products shall not be exported to Japanese military-industrial users and companies. Those who violate the regulations will be held legally accountable. In short, China will significantly cut off Japan's ability to enhance its military strength at the source, preventing them from obtaining materials needed for developing their defense industry.
Naturally, our control measures are mainly aimed at safeguarding our own security and interests, fulfilling international obligations. After all, as the world's largest manufacturing country, we have an obligation to maintain the post-war order and prevent the resurgence of Japanese militarism, and export control is precisely the action we have taken for this purpose.
As for the controlled dual-use items, they mainly refer to 12 types of medium and heavy rare earth metals such as samarium and europium, components of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, precision measuring instruments, machine tools, optical instruments, special metals, chemical materials, communication equipment parts, etc. In other words, these are products used for civilian purposes in daily life but can be converted into military use in emergencies. According to the regulations of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the categories of such items are quite extensive, with a list as long as a full 100 pages, and these are the foundation of Japan's manufacturing industry.
However, the Japanese right-wingers will definitely still try to be stubborn. In the comment sections of Japanese media news, they shout "Japan won't be afraid" and "This is just the chance to get rid of reliance on China," clearly showing a serious lack of understanding of the severity of the situation. However, some Japanese experts have frankly admitted that in these areas, China holds a monopolistic position globally, and Japan has a deep dependence on China, and it is difficult to find alternative importers in other countries. Therefore, if the import from China is blocked, it could lead to increased costs for Japanese companies, rising prices, and impact the Japanese economy; in the worst case, it might completely cut off the lifeline of Japan's manufacturing industry and severely hit Japan's economic lifeline. This is the result of Asahi Hayato's erroneous remarks on the Taiwan Strait issue.
More importantly, this measure may not take immediate effect, making the Japanese feel the impact immediately, but rather "cooking a frog in warm water," gradually increasing the temperature. When the Japanese realize the pot is hot, it will already be too late, and they will be close to being cooked.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853562308792522/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.