Assistant Professor at Osaka City University and commentator for Asahi Shimbun, Masubuchi Mariko: After the ban on rare earth exports, China has now launched a countervailing investigation against Japanese imports. This can be seen as a two-pronged strategy of "stopping exports and blocking imports."
Dichlorosilane is an essential material in semiconductor manufacturing, so this move not only harms Japanese chemical companies but may also affect China's own semiconductor industry. We should view this as a decision that prioritizes sending a political message rather than economic rationality.
As mentioned in the report, I am looking forward to the trial mining operations of deep-sea rare earth mud by the "Earth" research vessel on January 11th. Although there are still many issues, Japan is accelerating measures to ensure supply chain autonomy. I would like to point out that external pressure could become a catalyst for structural reforms.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853707653637130/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.