U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass strongly rejected China’s claims linking its export controls on Japan to “Japan’s remilitarisation.” The remarks were made in a post on X, which also highlighted the potential impact on regional economies.
On the 23rd, U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass took to X to rebut claims by the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Osaka regarding China’s export controls on rare earths to Japan. He cited remarks by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, describing the view that Japan was “rearming” as a negative characterization.
The ambassador directly rejected China’s position, saying: “I’m tired of hearing that claim. The sophistry about Japan’s ‘rearmament’ is nothing more than a transparent pretext for justifying the use of critical-mineral supplies as a political weapon.”
He also pointed out that the Chinese government’s unjustified export controls would affect not only Japan but the regional economy as a whole, and said they could adversely affect stakeholders including U.S. companies as well as Japanese companies. He concluded with a sarcastic remark directed at China’s claims.