BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Japanese counterpart on Sunday that Tokyo’s new export controls on semiconductor equipment will only further drive Beijing’s quest “to become self-reliant.”
A meeting between the foreign ministers of China and Japan was held on Sunday. This is the first trip by a Japanese foreign minister to China since December 2019 and comes after a period of sharply deteriorating bilateral ties.
Japan recently announced planned export controls on 23 items used to make semiconductors, following US pressure for countries to restrict China’s access to the technology.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang accused Japan of being Washington’s “minion” and said that the blockade would only further stimulate China’s determination to become self-reliant.
Japan’s controls were preceded by similar restrictions imposed last month by the Netherlands, where authorities cited “international and national security.”
Souring relationship between China and Japan
Semiconductors have become a major point of contention in the souring relationship between China and Japan, the world’s second and third-largest economies.
The two foreign ministers also discussed China’s recent detention of a Japanese national working in Beijing for Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company Astellas, who was held under allegations of espionage.
Japan protested the detainment and called for “the immediate release of that individual,” while China said that it would deal with him according to the law.
The meeting also addressed a disputed group of islands, which Japan calls the Senkakus and Beijing the Diaoyus.
The two sides discussed China’s increased military activities in and around Japan, including cooperation with Russia.
The growing regional assertiveness of China is expected to be a key topic at this year’s G7 meeting, which Japan is hosting.
