Beijing turns up pressure on Tokyo as security and trade disputes converge

Long-simmering tensions between China and Japan escalated further this week, spilling from political rhetoric into economic friction, as Beijing stood firm on new export controls on dual-use goods and Japanese officials reported delays in shipments of agricultural and processed products to China.

The dispute culminated on Friday as China’s ambassador to Japan rejected Tokyo’s request to withdraw recently imposed export restrictions, while Japanese authorities acknowledged that some exports including agricultural and processed food items were facing delays at Chinese customs.

The developments capped a week of heightened diplomatic strain marked by sharp Chinese criticism of Japan’s security posture, new trade curbs on sensitive materials, and Beijing’s conspicuous warming of ties with South Korea.

On Friday, the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship newspaper People’s Daily intensified its rhetoric, warning that “new militarism will lead Japan back into the abyss,” and accusing the country’s right-wing leadership of reviving dangerous historical tendencies. While the editorial stopped short of condemning the Japanese public at large, it urged “peace-loving Japanese people” to remain vigilant against their government’s direction.

The immediate trigger for the economic fallout was China’s decision to impose export controls on so-called “dual-use” items, materials and technologies that can serve both civilian and military purposes. On Thursday night, China’s embassy in Tokyo said Ambassador Wu Jianghao had rejected a formal petition from Japan’s Foreign Ministry seeking a rollback of the measures.

Wu described the controls as “entirely legitimate, reasonable and lawful,” arguing they were necessary to safeguard China’s national security.

Japanese officials, meanwhile, said they were monitoring reports that exports of sake, seafood and processed foods were being delayed on the Chinese side. Kyodo News cited industry sources saying shipments were being held up in customs, with some believing that sake, a culturally symbolic product, may have been singled out amid the diplomatic spat.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government was aware of the reports but declined to comment on individual transactions. “It is important that agricultural, fisheries and other exports from Japan are smoothly carried out,” he said, adding that authorities would “closely watch the situation and take appropriate measures.”

At the heart of Beijing’s anger is Japan’s evolving security policy. Under recent governments, Tokyo has expanded defence spending, eased long-standing restrictions on arms exports, and moved to reinterpret Article 9 of its pacifist constitution , which renounces war and limits the use of force steps China views as a return to militarism.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi , a prominent conservative figure, added to tensions in November when she said Japan would not rule out intervening if China used military force against Taiwan. China considers the self-governed island part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to bring it under its control, by force if necessary. Large-scale Chinese military exercises near Taiwan late last month heightened regional unease.

Japan argues its defence buildup is a response to mounting security threats, including China’s expanding military footprint, North Korea’s missile programme, and repeated tensions around the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Beijing, however, views Japan’s actions particularly its deepening security ties with the United States as destabilising and historically alarming.

Relations between the two Asian powers remain burdened by history. Japan colonised Taiwan in 1895, fought two wars with China, and brutally occupied large parts of the country during the first half of the 20th century. While the two nations now maintain diplomatic ties and extensive trade relations, historical grievances resurface whenever political or security disputes flare.

Chinese officials have been careful in recent days to frame their criticism as directed at Japan’s right wing rather than the nation as a whole. A recent Chinese report on Japan’s nuclear and military ambitions repeatedly singled out conservative factions, echoing People’s Daily’s call for Japan to fully reckon with its past aggression.

The economic stakes are significant. Japanese officials warned that China’s existing export controls on rare earth elements , critical for electronics, electric vehicles and automobiles, have already caused a “serious impact on global supply chains.”

Industry and Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa said around 70 per cent of Japan’s rare earth imports come from China. “Rare earths are extremely important minerals, and the export controls have already affected our country tremendously,” he said, declining to comment on possible retaliation.

As ties with Tokyo cooled, Beijing highlighted improving relations with South Korea during President Lee Jae Myung ’s visit this week. The trip yielded millions of dollars in new export contracts, with Lee declaring “a new chapter” in bilateral relations. Chinese state media also noted that New Year travel from China to South Korea had surpassed trips to Japan.

Amid the strain, there was at least one muted diplomatic gesture on Friday, when China’s Foreign Ministry expressed condolences over the death of a former Japanese ambassador to Beijing, a rare note of restraint in an otherwise tense week.

With neither side showing signs of backing down, analysts say the dispute underscores how strategic rivalry, unresolved history and economic interdependence continue to collide in East Asia’s most fragile relationship.