Japan Readies Sanctions Against Chinese Firms over Providing Materials to Russia; New Ukraine Measures to be Announced

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, June 13, 2024

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was set to announce new sanctions against Chinese companies for providing materials that can be used for military purposes to Russia during a summit talk of the Group of Seven major industrialized countries that started Thursday, several government sources said.

It would mark the first time for Japan to target companies in China with sanctions in relation to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

Kishida was expected to make the announcement at a G7 session on Ukraine on the day, where he was to have emphasized that Japan is strongly pushing for sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine, reiterating his recognition of “Today’s Ukraine may be tomorrow’s East Asia.”

The envisioned measures against Chinese companies are part of sanctions against Russia. In the session, Kishida was to criticize China’s ongoing support of Russia’s aggression through the export of military and civilian dual-use goods. He was also to have reported that he had conveyed these concerns directly to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during their meeting in Seoul in May.

Kishida was also to announce Japan’s plan to host an international conference next year to discuss landmine clearance and other measures as part of its efforts to support Ukraine’s reconstruction by making use of Japan’s technical expertise.

Against Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukrainian power plants, Kishida was to announce that Japan will provide additional power generators and back up protection measures for power plants and continue its support of providing non-lethal equipment, such as bulletproof vests and helmets.

Kishida arrived in Puglia, Italy — the setting for the summit — on Wednesday. He was set to discuss issues including the situations in Ukraine, China and response to generative artificial intelligence during the summit on Thursday and Friday. Kishida will then travel to Switzerland on Saturday to attend the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, and return to Japan on Sunday.