China places 20 Japanese entities on export control list for dual-use items

BEIJING: China added 20 Japanese entities to its export control list for dual-use items on Monday, preventing Chinese firms from selling to them without prior approval, citing Tokyo's ambitions for "remilitarisation."

The action, Beijing's latest in a series of export curbs targeted at Tokyo, was aimed at limiting Japan's "new type ‌of militarism" as ⁠well as ⁠its nuclear ambitions, the Chinese commerce ministry said in a statement.

Japan's defence ministry ​did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


Ties between China and Japan have been strained since late last year after sensitive Taiwan-related remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Tokyo's decision to increase defence spending, prompting Beijing to begin imposing export controls on dual-use items ⁠in January.

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"China's ‌lawful action of listing only targets a small number ​of Japanese ​entities, the relevant measures apply only to dual-use items, ⁠which does not affect the normal economic and trade exchanges ​between China and Japan," the ministry said, reassuring that ​law-abiding Japanese entities operating "in good faith" need not worry.

The 20 entities include Japan's Institute for Defence Studies, as well as subsidiaries of Mitsubishi, Komatsu and Fujitsu, the ministry notice showed.

Dual-use items are goods, software or technology with potential military or weapons-development applications.

Chinese exporters are prohibited from ‌selling to the entities while foreign organisations and individuals are prohibited from transferring or supplying dual-use items originating in China to ​them, effective immediately.

The ​ministry also put ⁠20 other Japanese entities on a watchlist for which it could not verify the end users or final use of dual-use items exported to them.

The ​watchlist deters trade with those entities but requires exporters applying to do so to provide a risk assessment report and a written commitment not to use dual-use items for any purpose that would enhance Japanese military strength.