Beijing Set to Prolong Rare-Earth Curbs, Economic Retaliation Against Tokyo: Analysts

Exports of critical rare-earth elements from China to Japan have virtually halted since December.

Japan’s national flag flutters next to a surveillance camera at the Embassy of Japan in Beijing on Nov. 18, 2025. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

Beijing’s manipulation of uncertainty over rare-earth exports serves as a potent coercive tool against Tokyo, with experts warning of further economic retaliation despite ongoing efforts to reduce dependence.

A spokesperson for China’s commerce ministry said at a press conference on May 28 that placing 20 Japanese entities on China’s export control list and another 20 on a watch list was a response to what it alleged was Japan’s “remilitarization.”