China restricts exports to Japan

China’s Commerce Ministry announced yesterday that it will block the export of all “dual-use” products with potential military applications to any Japanese organization connected to the defense industry. The 20 blocked entities include Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the National Defense Academy of Japan. The new restrictions may include a ban on “rare earths,” metals used in a wide range of technologies. “These measures aim to prevent Japan’s ‘remilitarization’ and nuclear ambitions and are fully justifiable, reasonable and lawful,” the ministry’s statement said. This further escalates China and Japan’s diplomatic conflict over the former’s threat to conquer Taiwan, but the Trumpet expects these two Asian giants to put aside their differences and join forces soon in an alliance biblical prophecy calls “the kings of the east.”