China's foreign ministry said two Japanese nationals were detained by Chinese authorities for violating Chinese laws and that the Japanese side had been informed of the case.
Japan's top government spokesperson said one person was detained in Dalian on May 18 and a second on May 25 on suspicion of smuggling goods prohibited from trade. The spokesperson said Tokyo received consular notifications through the Japanese Consulate-General in Shenyang and the Japanese Consular Office in Dalian and was responding, while withholding further details because of privacy considerations and an ongoing investigation.
Japanese media, citing people familiar with the matter, identified the two as employees of Fuji Electric Co. and reported that one case involved an attempt to export products containing rare-earth materials subject to Chinese restrictions. Fuji Electric said it had not announced the matter and had no comment.
China introduced export controls in April 2025 on specified medium- and heavy-rare-earth-related items, including certain metals, oxides, compounds and permanent magnet materials. Exports of listed items require a license.