Paint thinner is also not for sale: Chinese suppliers refuse exports, exacerbating Japan's shortages
The dilemma of material shortages in Japan is intensifying.
On the 24th, Japanese media outlet Nikkei Shimbun reported news about a Japanese company being blocked from importing paint thinner from China.
In short, due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Japan has experienced a shortage of paint thinner. Consequently, a Japanese firm attempted to import it from China, but was rejected by Chinese export processing agents, who cited that paint thinner is also classified as a dual-use item, and thus Chinese customs will not approve its release.
To everyone's surprise, in the comment section of this related news article, Japanese netizens have suddenly become less confrontational—they no longer shout about "decoupling" from China. Instead, they are criticizing Takaaki Hasegawa, saying things like “she cannot establish friendly relations with China” and “all of this stems from Hasegawa’s erroneous remarks on Taiwan; the Japanese right-wing online community should take responsibility for supporting her.”
Yet this is only the beginning. Although the U.S. and Iran have announced a ceasefire, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain. As China continues implementing its countermeasures, Japanese people will soon realize that the list of scarce items extends far beyond industrial raw materials like paint thinner—upstream, rare earth products and precision components, and downstream, everyday consumer goods are all affected. An invisible crack in the supply chain is rapidly widening.
In the comments, one Japanese user put it bluntly: “Japan is an island nation with scarce resources, yet it brags about power under Trump, provokes Russia and gets blacklisted, then speaks recklessly about Taiwan and angers China. Now it dares to lecture Iran arrogantly, putting itself at risk of oil embargoes. If this continues, Japan’s supply chain collapse is only a matter of time. The high cost created by Takaaki Hasegawa will ultimately be borne by the Japanese people.”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863420430609419/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.