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Edited by: Rana Taha

China has detained two Japanese nationals on suspicion of smuggling banned goods, Tokyo said on Wednesday.

Japanese media reported that one case may involve rare-earth-related exports, a strategically important sector tightly controlled by Beijing.

What do we know about the charges?

Japan said Chinese authorities informed it that one citizen was detained in the northeastern port city of Dalian on May 18 on suspicion of violating a law covering the smuggling of goods banned from trade.

A second Japanese national was detained on the same allegation on May 25, Japan's top government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, told reporters.

"The [Japanese government] will continue taking appropriate steps to protect Japanese citizens," Kihara said.

China's Foreign Ministry confirmed the detentions, saying the two Japanese citizens had violated Chinese law, but provided no further details.

"We would like to stress that Japan should educate and remind its citizens and businesses in China to abide by Chinese laws and regulations," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

Japanese media reported that one of the cases involved allegations of attempts to export products containing rare earth materials, which are subject to Chinese restrictions. Kihara did not identify the goods involved.

"These cases remain under investigation," a spokesperson from Japan's consular offices in China told the AFP news agency. He added that the two individuals appeared to be in good health and that the government would "take appropriate measures from the standpoint of their protection."

Why are there tensions over rare earths?

China dominates global production and processing of rare earths, metals which are used in products ranging from electric vehicles to military equipment. Beijing has tightened controls on the sector in recent years and increasingly views it as a strategic asset.

Relations between Japan and China have deteriorated since comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last year suggesting Tokyo could intervene militarily if China attempted to seize Taiwan.

Since then, China has restricted exports of some key minerals and dual-use goods to Japan, while also scaling back a range of trade and cultural exchanges.

Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live. for DW