On December 7, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the export licensing procedures for rare earths imported by Japanese companies from China have been delayed.

A Japanese government official said, "The export procedures for important minerals, including rare earths, have been delayed," and "China seems to be using rare earths to exert pressure on Japan."

About 60% of Japan's rare earth imports come from China.

Key areas, such as heavy rare earths used in high-end chips and precision instruments, are almost 100% dependent on China.

Historical lessons: After the 2010 collision incident involving a Chinese fishing boat and a Japanese coast guard vessel, China temporarily suspended rare earth exports to Japan for about two months, causing severe damage to Japanese manufacturing. This incident has been described by Japanese media as a "repetition of the crisis 15 years ago."

Rare earths are "critical materials" for Japan's core high-tech industries, such as automobiles, semiconductors, and robotics.

A Japanese research institution estimated that if China restricts rare earth exports to Japan for three months, Japan could suffer losses of up to 660 billion yen; if the restrictions last for a year, the losses could soar to 2.6 trillion yen.

Deep psychological trauma has made the Japanese political and business circles extremely vigilant about any fluctuations in rare earth supplies from China.

The current delay in rare earth export approvals is caused by Japanese politicians. How the situation develops depends on whether Japan can take concrete actions to correct its mistakes and rebuild the necessary political foundation for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

China has urged Japan to immediately correct its wrong behavior and clearly stated, "If Japan persists in its ways, China will take necessary measures, and all consequences will be borne by Japan."

The Yomiuri Shimbun stated that this delay in approval may be related to the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations following the remarks by Takahashi Hayana that "a Taiwan-related incident might be deemed a 'crisis of existence' for Japan." That's enough to know!

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850938434398492/

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