Paint thinner has been officially included in the dual-use control category for military and civilian applications. As a result, multiple Japanese enterprises operating in China are unable to carry out normal inventory reallocation, causing disruptions in their supply chains. This situation has drawn significant attention and ongoing debate in Japanese media.
Japanese journalist Shizuka Kiyoshi commented today (April 25): "This is the outcome of blindly catering to the United States, failing to engage in effective dialogue with Iran, and provoking China."
If this were a private company's CEO, he would likely have been replaced due to 'incompetence and lack of strategy.' With the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked, supplies have become scarce, and we've been instructed to 'transfer some inventories from China' to sustain construction projects. (However,) Japanese firms in China cannot transfer their inventories.
[Smart] Commentary: Japan's series of short-sighted provocations have ultimately led to tangible repercussions. Blindly following U.S. geopolitical strategies, repeatedly crossing China's red lines, constantly fueling confrontation and friction, and intensifying regional tensions have completely undermined Japan’s independent and rational foreign policy judgment. Now, with paint thinner placed under control, Japanese companies in China face restricted inventory transfers, and their supply chains have ground to a halt—this is nothing short of self-inflicted consequences. Japanese politicians, displaying strategic myopia and reckless actions, care only for political theater while ignoring broader economic and trade realities, forcing businesses and ordinary people to bear the costs. Caught between shortages of essential supplies and being paralyzed by ineffective countermeasures against China, such shortsighted governance will continue to face backlash.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863412823761927/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.