China Detains 2 Japanese Accused of Smuggling Restricted Items

The two individuals have been held by Chinese authorities since May, Japan stated.

A man rides his motorcycle past the entrance of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Aug. 29, 2023. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

Chinese authorities have detained two Japanese citizens on suspicion of exporting banned goods, both sides confirmed on June 24, adding to tensions between the two Asian countries.

Speaking at a regular briefing in Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters that one individual was detained on May 18 for allegedly violating a Chinese law related to smuggling items prohibited from import or export.

Another Japanese national was held on May 26 on the same charges, he said.

Chinese authorities have notified Japan’s consulate general in Shenyang and Dalian, two large cities in Liaoning Province, China, according to Kihara.

He made the comments when asked about local media reports that a Japanese employee at an electronics manufacturer had been detained by the Chinese authorities since May. The employee allegedly attempted to take rare-earth-related products, which are subject to Beijing’s export control, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and Kyodo News agency reported earlier on June 24, citing anonymous sources.

The Japanese government’s top spokesperson declined to disclose the identities of these individuals or further details, citing privacy protections and an ongoing investigation.

Regarding their health, Kihara said he was told that they are not experiencing any issues.

“The government will continue to take appropriate steps to protect Japanese nationals while maintaining contact with the detained individual and other relevant parties,” he said.

At a separate briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun sidestepped a question about whether the cases were related to China’s rare-earth export controls, saying only that two Japanese people were detained “for violating Chinese law.”

Beijing’s Rare Earth Export Ban

Beijing’s action came four months after its commerce ministry imposed a ban on shipping items with both civilian and military uses to Japan if they could advance Tokyo’s military capability. Since then, shipments of certain types of rare earths and critical minerals have almost ground to a halt.

The ministry defended its bans as lawful last month, stating that civilian applications that meet the standard would be reviewed.

The latest customs data, released on June 20, shows that China’s exports of the heavy rare earths dysprosium and terbium remained at zero in May.

China dominates almost every stage of the rare earth supply chain. Its export controls last year have disrupted various industries worldwide and alarmed the United States and its allies over the heavy dependence on a single country for minerals critical to everything from mobile phones to military jets.

(2nd R) Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) attends the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 15, 2026. Christian Hartmann/Reuters

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other G7 leaders agreed earlier this month to coordinate efforts to diversify supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals.

The joint statement, issued on June 17 after two days of meetings, did not mention China but set a target of reducing reliance on “a single supplier” outside the G7 and partner countries for rare earths to no more than 60 percent by 2030, with a goal of achieving 50 percent “as soon as possible.”

Tensions between the two neighbors remain high. The Chinese Communist Party has maintained economic and diplomatic pressure on Tokyo, seeking to compel Takaichi to retract her recent comments on Taiwan—a demand Japan rejected.

Takaichi, in response to a November 2025 parliamentary question, said a hypothetical Taiwan contingency might constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, a designation that could enable her country to exercise its right to self-defense.