Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yongqian at a daily press briefing in Beijing, China, January 22, 2026. /VCG
China’s export controls on related Japanese entities are aimed toward curbing Japan’s remilitarization efforts and are justified, cheap measures that won’t have an effect on the traditional commerce between the 2 international locations, China’s Ministry of Commerce mentioned on Thursday.
Responding to a query concerning export controls on related Japanese entities at a daily press briefing, Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yongqian mentioned the measures are supposed to curb Japan’s remilitarization and nuclear aspirations, that are fully justified, cheap and lawful.
She clarified that the related measures apply particularly to dual-use gadgets and don’t have an effect on regular financial and commerce exchanges between China and Japan. Japanese entities that function with integrity and adjust to the regulation don’t have any trigger for concern.
Japan has just lately accelerated its tempo of army enlargement and armament, He famous. This consists of pushing for the elimination of restrictions on weapons exports, creating offensive army capabilities and in search of to revise the “Three Non-Nuclear Principles.”
The spokesperson burdened that these actions replicate a harmful development towards accelerated remilitarization and nuclear ambitions, posing a menace to regional and world peace.Â
As a accountable main energy, China constantly and actively fulfills its worldwide non-proliferation obligations, He added.
On February 24, China added 20 Japanese entities, together with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipbuilding Co., to an export management checklist. Export operators are prohibited from exporting dual-use gadgets to the listed entities which are concerned in enhancing Japan’s army capabilities. Overseas organizations and people are prohibited from transferring or offering dual-use gadgets originating in China to the entities. Any associated actions at the moment underway shall be halted instantly, in accordance with an announcement launched by the ministry.
Another 20 Japanese entities, together with SUBARU Corporation, had been additionally added to a watch checklist on Tuesday, marking the primary use of this provision.
First launched within the Regulation on the Export Control of Dual-Use Items (Regulation) in December 2024, the “watch list” serves as an intermediate step earlier than international importers are added to the export management checklist.
Under the regulation, entities with end-users and end-use for dual-use gadgets that haven’t but been verified could also be positioned on the watch checklist. The measure won’t instantly topic these entities to export controls, as China’s Ministry of Commerce will scrutinize the end-users and end-uses of their dual-use gadgets and, if cleared, take away the entity from the checklist.
By strengthening screening and danger assessments, the watch mechanism permits exact, focused controls for entities with unclear finish makes use of or potential army purposes.
Takaichi vowed to revise Japan’s three safety paperwork this 12 months, together with a brand new defence technique, in her first post-election speech to parliament on February 20. She additionally mentioned to speed up the revision of Japan’s army export guidelines, aimed toward strengthening Japan’s defence manufacturing base and increasing abroad gross sales.
Her Liberal Democratic Party has already deliberate to increase Japan’s guidelines on army exports, in accordance with Japanese media. The present guidelines that restrict army exports to 5 non-lethal functions are set to be abolished to permit the export of deadly arms, together with promoting collectively developed weapon methods to international locations past the companions within the tasks.
China has urged the world to remain vigilant towards Japan’s latest try at remilitarization. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned of Japan’s “dangerous trend” in remarks on the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 14.
Japan’s sitting prime minister has gone as far as to publicly declare {that a} contingency within the Taiwan Strait would represent a “situation of existential crisis,” permitting Japan to train the best of collective self-defense, mentioned Wang.
China actually can’t settle for this, nor will the 1.4 billion Chinese folks, Wang mentioned.
(With enter from Xinhua)
Source: CGTN