Logo 09 Jan 2026

Beijing’s stricter scrutiny of dual-use exports to Japan already hitting rare earths

Subscribe to keep reading.

Sign up to stay briefed on what the Chinese government is doing, thinking, and saying.

Try it free

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Beijing is choking off Japanese firms' access to key rare earth elements (REEs). That's per a January 8 Wall Street Journal report citing two Chinese exporters of heavy REEs and magnets, plus a third who confirmed review of export license applications for Japanese customers have effectively been "h...



More recent developments

Logo March 9, 2026
Xi Jinping demands loyalty from armed forces

Xi Jinping wants the military to get its act together. He didn't mince words when meeting with delegates from the armed forces to the National People’s Congress on March 7: “The military is the one that holds the gun, and… Read More »

Logo March 9, 2026
15th Five-Year Plan takes aim at local protectionism

Building a unified national market will sit at the center of government efforts to improve the business environment over the next five years. According to the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), these efforts will revolve around three pillars: Improving the regulatory… Read More »

Logo March 9, 2026
Xi Jinping signals bigger push on Healthy China in Two Sessions remarks

2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for health policy. On March 6, Xi Jinping discussed medical and health reform with members of China's top political advisory body (CPPCC). Why it matters: Xi meets a selected group of… Read More »