Beijing tightens restrictions on exports to Japan

Today's headlines: Yoon Suk-yeol has appealed against his life sentence for insurrection; A group of countries including Saudi Arabia, France and Spain oppose Israel's decision on the West Bank land registry, which will allow the expansion of illegal settlements; India has blocked a journalist's X account. Vietnam has shut down major illegal streaming sites.

CHINA - JAPAN

Beijing has taken action against 40 Japanese companies and entities, citing national security reasons, in the dispute that arose following Sanae Takaichi's statements in November 2025 on Tokyo's position on Taiwan. Exports to 20 Japanese groups, including Mitsubishi and the Japanese space agency, accused of contributing to the enhancement of Japan's military capabilities, have been restricted. From today, Chinese exporters will no longer be able to supply products for military use to the listed Japanese entities, and foreign companies are prohibited from supplying them with the same products originating in China.

SOUTH KOREA

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has appealed against his conviction for insurrection stemming from his declaration of martial law in 2024, his lawyers have announced. Last week, the Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of insurrection aimed at “paralysing” the National Assembly and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Yoon described the verdict, which he will now appeal, as “difficult to accept”.

SAUDI ARABIA - ISRAEL

Saudi Arabia and several other countries - including Egypt, France, Indonesia and Spain - have condemned Israel's recent decision to extend its illegal control over the West Bank. A statement condemns the changes that ‘reclassify Palestinian land as so-called Israeli “state land”, accelerating illegal settlement activity’. The foreign ministers called on Israel to immediately revoke the decisions and comply with its international obligations.

INDIA

India has blocked the X account of a journalist from Middle East Eye who reported on relations between India and Israel. Azad Essa, a South African resident in the United States, was informed that the Indian government had decided to ban his account: ‘Indian law requires X to deny access to this content in India.’ Just six months ago, another case on the X platform raised concerns about censorship in India after the government requested that the Reuters news agency be blocked.

VIETNAM

Since the beginning of the month in Vietnam, the main illegal football and film streaming websites, used by millions of users, are no longer accessible. The authorities have officially presented the closure as part of a renewed push to enforce copyright laws in the digital space. The message is that Hanoi is cracking down on sports and film piracy, sectors that for years have remained in a tolerated grey area.

KAZAKHSTAN

The Kazakh court has imposed a heavy fine on the newspaper Uralskaja Nedelja for violating the conditions necessary to conduct public opinion polls on voting intentions by publishing a post with the question 'Are you going to vote in the referendum? on the constitutional changes proposed by President Kasym-Žomart Tokaev, on the grounds that ‘such polls can only be conducted by specially authorised legal entities’.

GEORGIA

The Georgian government has approved another typically Russian regulation, prohibiting foreigners without permanent residence permits from working as tourist guides, couriers and taxi drivers, establishing a quota system that limits the number of foreigners who can work in the service sector, with the need for a special permit for each category, and for jobs requiring passenger transport, the quotas are practically reduced to zero.

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