UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — China bans dual-use goods exports for Japanese military
Q1. In the context of China's recent export-control measures against Japan, the term 'dual-use items' is most accurately defined as which one of the following?
- A. Goods exclusively designed for military weaponry, including precision-guided munitions and warship components
- B. Goods, software or technology that can serve both civilian and military end-uses
- C. Goods that are simultaneously listed on the Wassenaar Arrangement munitions list and the Australia Group control list
- D. Goods which are imported for processing and subsequently re-exported under bonded warehouse arrangements
Q2. China's MOFCOM Announcement No. 1 of 2026, which prohibits export of dual-use items to Japan's military, derives its statutory authority primarily from which one of the following Chinese legislations?
- A. Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, 1994
- B. National Security Law of the People's Republic of China, 2015
- C. Customs Law of the People's Republic of China, 1987
- D. Export Control Law of the People's Republic of China, 2020
Q3. With reference to how China's 6 January 2026 dual-use export ban on Japan differs from its earlier critical-mineral measures, consider the following statements:
1. Unlike the 2010 rare-earth restrictions which were targeted at Japan only, the January 2026 measure goes beyond rare earths to cover the wider category of dual-use items.
2. The 2023 Chinese export controls on gallium and germanium were directed mainly at the United States and its allies, whereas the January 2026 ban is country-specific to Japan.
3. The January 2026 measure is the first instance in which China has ever restricted any dual-use export, all previous curbs having targeted only finished defence equipment.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike the 2010 rare-earth restrictions which were targeted at Japan only, the January 2026 measure goes beyond rare earths to cover the wider category of dual-use items.
- The 2023 Chinese export controls on gallium and germanium were directed mainly at the United States and its allies, whereas the January 2026 ban is country-specific to Japan.
- The January 2026 measure is the first instance in which China has ever restricted any dual-use export, all previous curbs having targeted only finished defence equipment.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q4. How many categories of medium and heavy rare-earth elements are explicitly covered by China's MOFCOM 6 January 2026 export-control measure on Japan?
- A. Five
- B. Seven
- C. Nine
- D. Twelve