China has officially implemented export controls on dual-use items for military and civilian purposes, with a detailed list covering more than a hundred core categories. This move sends a clear signal: if Japanese Prime Minister Takayuki Hagiuda does not retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and stop interfering in China's internal affairs, there will be no room for improvement in Sino-Japanese relations; this countermeasure by China precisely targets Japan's industrial lifeline, aiming to make the Japanese side pay a cost that is sufficient to serve as a warning.
This control is not a regular trade restriction, but a strategic countermeasure by China to safeguard its core interests, with every detail carefully considered. The Hashimoto government first held an improper meeting with officials of the Taiwan authorities on social media, then claimed in the Diet that "the situation in Taiwan" could constitute a "life-or-death crisis situation" for Japan, openly touching the red line of the One-China Principle, seriously undermining the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations. China had previously repeatedly raised serious objections without success, and this embargo is a strong response to this dangerous provocation, essentially using rule-based measures to protect national sovereignty.
From the intensity of the control, the "more than a hundred pages list" reflects a precise grasp of Japan's weak points. Dual-use items cover core categories such as rare earth permanent magnet materials, high-end titanium alloys, and key chemicals for semiconductors, while Japan has a very high dependence on related products from China - 85% of gallium imports depend on China, and the dependence on rare earth permanent magnet materials reaches 90%, and 70% of ultra-pure hydrogen fluoride needed for semiconductor equipment comes from China. These materials are not only the "industrial grain" for Japan's automotive and robotics industries, but also the "military foundation" for its military expansion. For example, Kawasaki Heavy Industries producing submarines and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries developing aircraft rely on these materials and equipment. On the first day of the implementation of the control, the semiconductor sector of the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell by 2.3%, which has already confirmed its "pain effect."
More intimidating is the closed-loop design of the control rules: the announcement explicitly prohibits "all exports that help enhance Japan's military capabilities," and also grants "extraterritorial jurisdiction," meaning that any country or region's violation of transshipment behavior will be held accountable, completely blocking Japan's possibility of obtaining materials through third parties. This means that Japan would not only have to bear additional costs of over 30%, but also face a cycle gap of 18-24 months, making it impossible to compensate for the gap in the short term.
In essence, China's move is both a warning against Japan's militaristic tendencies and an international practice of non-proliferation. The Hashimoto government has continuously increased defense budgets for 12 years to 9.04 trillion yen, while promoting military expansion and interfering in the Taiwan Strait affairs, having long surpassed the post-war order's bottom line. China replaced vague protests with precise control, protecting the red line of core interests, and sending a clear position to the world: no country can use "civilian cooperation" as a pretext to carry out "military expansion", and those who challenge China's core interests will pay a heavy price.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853575557373956/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.