Japanese Media: Japanese Employee Detained in China for Allegedly Trying to Take Rare Earth-Related Items Out of the Country

(CNA Taipei, June 24) According to reports from Japanese media including Kyodo News and Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese male employee of a major Japanese-affiliated electrical equipment company in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, was detained by Chinese authorities at the end of May for attempting to take rare earth-related items, subject to China's export controls, out of the country.

Reports indicate that remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November 2025 regarding a Taiwan contingency caused strong dissatisfaction in Beijing, leading to a low point in Sino-Japanese relations.

In January of this year, China strengthened export controls on dual-use items to Japan as a de facto countermeasure. According to sources, Chinese customs authorities may have considered the Japanese employee's actions to be related to rare earth export controls. While the specific nature of the suspicion is unclear, it is reported that the employee is not suspected of violating the "Anti-Espionage Law."

The downturn in Sino-Japanese relations, coupled with the current situation of Japanese nationals being detained in China, has heightened concerns within the Japanese business community regarding commercial risks in China. (Editor: Lu Jia-rong / Qiu Guo-qiang) 1150624

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