Japan says that China has detained 2 of its citizens suspected of smuggling banned items

TOKYO (AP) — China has detained two Japanese citizens suspected of smuggling items prohibited from import or export, a Japanese official said Wednesday, in a case reportedly linked to rare earths, critical materials that are largely controlled by Beijing. Japans’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters in Tokyo that Japanese consular offices in Shenyang and Dalian were notified by the Chinese customs authorities that the two Japanese nationals were detained, one on May 18 and another one a week later, “in the same alleged case.”Kihara said the two were in good health, but refused to give further details about them or the case, on grounds of their privacy and the ongoing investigation.In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed the detention of two Japanese citizens for violating Chinese laws, but did not give any details of the case.

“What we would like to emphasize is that the Japanese side should educate and remind Japanese citizens and enterprises in China to abide by Chinese laws and regulations,” Guo told a daily briefing.Kyodo News agency reported that the two Japanese nationals are employees of a major Japanese machinery maker, and one of them works at its Chinese subsidiary. Their alleged attempt to take materials related to rare earths might have been considered illegal, Kyodo said.