Japan and China Clash Over Tech Exports

Japan is not happy with China's recent move to stop exporting certain tech items. These items can be used for both regular and military purposes. China's decision is part of a bigger argument between the two countries. The trouble started when Japan's leader made a statement about Taiwan. Japan said that if China attacks Taiwan, it could be a big problem for Japan. China did not like this and wants Japan to take back the statement. Since Japan did not, China decided to stop exporting these tech items to Japan. Japan's government spokesperson said that this move is not fair and is not something other countries do. They also said they do not know how this will affect Japanese businesses.The news did not make a big splash in the markets, but Japanese shares did go down a bit. The mining sector was hit the hardest. There is talk that China might also restrict exports of rare earth minerals to Japan. These minerals are very important for making things like cars and electronics. Japan still gets most of its rare earth minerals from China, even though they have been trying to get them from other places since 2010. If China stops exporting these minerals, it could cost Japanese businesses a lot of money. It could also make Japan's economy a bit smaller. But so far, there are no signs that China has stopped exporting these minerals to Japan. In fact, exports were up in November.