TOKYO, Japan — Feb. 25, 2026 (ANI): Japan has issued a strong protest against China after Beijing added 20 Japanese defense-related entities to its export ban list for dual-use items, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the measures, a senior government official said, according to Kyodo News.
Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato described the move as “absolutely intolerable and extremely regrettable” during a press conference Tuesday, adding that Tokyo will assess the potential impact and consider necessary responses.
According to Japan’s Foreign Ministry, the protest was formally submitted by Masaaki Kanai, head of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, along with senior officials from the Japanese Embassy in China and the trade ministry.
The latest restrictions follow China’s tightening of dual-use export rules to Japan on Jan. 6. Dual-use items include materials and technologies that can serve both civilian and military purposes, such as rare earth elements critical for manufacturing high-tech products including electric vehicles, aircraft, and weapons. China remains the dominant global supplier of rare earth materials.
The export restrictions come amid rising tensions between Beijing and Tokyo after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan’s Self-Defense Forces could respond if Taiwan were attacked.
Among the newly targeted entities are subsidiaries of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, China’s Commerce Ministry said. A Kawasaki Heavy Industries official said the company is reviewing the export restrictions, while IHI Corporation, known for developing aircraft engines for Japan’s Defense Ministry, said it is still verifying details after six of its group firms were included in the ban.
Several other companies also expressed concern over the lack of clarity surrounding the reasons for their inclusion.
Yasuhide Yajima, executive fellow at NLI Research Institute, said China’s opaque export controls create uncertainty for Japanese firms and undermine predictability, noting that the measures are tied to Beijing’s national policy.
Meanwhile, Yoshinobu Tsutsui, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, urged China to retract the measures targeting specific companies and called on the Japanese government to take an appropriate approach to resolve the dispute.
Japan is closely monitoring developments and is expected to coordinate with industry stakeholders to mitigate potential disruptions to high-tech manufacturing and defense supply chains. (ANI)
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