China has detained two Japanese citizens suspected of smuggling items prohibited from import or export, according to a Japanese official. The detentions were confirmed by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, who stated that Japanese consular offices in Shenyang and Dalian were notified by Chinese customs authorities. One national was detained on May 18, and the other a week later, in connection with the same alleged case.
Kihara reported that both individuals are in good health but declined to provide further details, citing privacy and an ongoing investigation. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed the detentions for violating Chinese laws and urged the Japanese side to remind its citizens and companies in China to abide by local regulations.
Kyodo News agency reported that the detained individuals are employees of a major Japanese machinery maker, with one working at its Chinese subsidiary. Their alleged attempt to transport materials related to rare earths may have been considered illegal, according to the report. China largely controls the global supply of rare earths, which are critical materials for various high-tech industries.
The detentions occur five months after Beijing implemented export controls on dual-use goods, which China stated would not affect commercial products. However, trade data have indicated a decline in Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan since the controls were put in place.
Relations between Japan and China have been strained in recent months. Tensions heightened after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Chinese action against Taiwan could warrant a Japanese military response, a departure from previous Japanese leaders' stance of strategic ambiguity regarding the self-governed island. Additionally, a Japanese man detained in China since March 2023 was sentenced last year to three and a half years in prison on espionage charges.