Japan and South Korea's frictions intensified, and a convenience store in South Korea posted notice not selling Japanese products.(AFP)
The host of the G20 (G20) Osaka Summit, Japan, just hosted a multilateral summit that supports trade liberalization, and turned back to the neighboring South Korea.
On July 1, Japan implemented restrictions on semiconductor materials exported to South Korea.In this regard, Prime Minister Abe's statement is that we cannot continue to give preferential treatment for countries that do not follow the agreement.Japan said it.From July 4th, Japan has begun to strengthen the export restrictions on South Korea for three materials including hydrogen fluoride, fluoride polytamide and sensitivity.In short, it is to disconnect South Korea.
Abe's so -called non -compliance agreement refers to the South Korean court that Japan's decision to compensate South Korean workers during World War II.In addition, Japan believes that South Korea does not comply with the comfort women compensation agreement reached by the two countries.
South Korean political circles are at a loss, while South Korean mainstream media believes that this is Japan's premeditated revenge, and at the same time criticized the country's government to respond to weakness.Although South Korea criticized Japan as a political retaliation of South Korea and stated that it would solve the problem through the World Trade Organization (WTO), but the Japanese side emphasized that it did not consider the revocation of high -tech export restrictions on South Korea, and the export restriction measures did not violate the WTO rules.
Japan is accurate to Han.Limit three semiconductor materials for South Korea, according to the Korean Daily quoting the Korean Trade Association report, Korean companies' dependence on high -purity hydrogen fluoride, optical resistance and fluoride amine in Japan reached 43.9%and 91.9%, respectively.And 93.7%.Technology companies, including Samsung, will be harmed.It is reported that South Korea has four months of inventory for the three semiconductor materials of the above -mentioned Nissan.Moreover, South Korea cannot obtain alternative products from China or Southeast Asia.Therefore, this time, Japan's pain to South Korea has indeed been conspiring for a long time.
In addition to restricting the export of three key semiconductor materials to South Korea, Japan also plans to remove South Korea's export strategic products (such as production nuclear guide weapons) in August (currently on this list of 27 countries).Obviously, this is the worst moment since the normalization of Japan and South Korea in 1965, the worst time for Japan and South Korea.Although President Wen Zaiyin convened 30 South Korean corporate groups to discuss the response on the 10th, South Korea has no better way.Japan's card neck, the Korean stock market fell, the market value of Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and other related companies fell nearly 2%.The stock price of other small and medium -sized semiconductor companies fell more than 10%.The market value of South Korean aviation and related tourism companies also declines around 5%.
Japan's pressure on South Korea with an American -style limit to South Korea not only rely on strength, but also the shortcomings of the South Korean core industry to play a role in a sword.However, Japan also started a dangerous game of hate.
The contradiction between Japan and South Korea has a long history and has reached a climax in recent years.Without the United States, the largest leader in the United States and the Nuclear crisis, Japan and South Korea have collapsed under the trouble of historical grudges, island sovereignty, and radar aircraft.This time, economic sanctions against South Korea are the historical grievances and reality contradictions of Japanese -South Korean relations, and it also highlights a cruel international reality.
U.S. -extreme unilateralist policy has also provided a bad example Mdash; MDash; rule -based globalization was broken by bullies of power -based colors.As a superpower, the United States can start a trade war to all trading partners including Japan; as the third largest country in the world, Japan can also implement economic sanctions with South Korea.
Japan's sanctions on South Korea also forced South Korea to counter it.Under the pressure of the Korean business community and the public opinion community, South Korea said that in addition to countering Japan through WTO, it has to be solved through diplomatic means.Obviously, this trade conflict initiated by Japan and against South Korea is not limited to the economic and trade field, and it will become a comprehensive conflict between Japan and South Korea.
Although it is not as good as Sino -US trade frictions that cause global market shake, Japan and South Korea's economic and trade conflict will also cause market turbulence.On the one hand, Japan and South Korea are global economy and trading countries. Japanese semiconductor materials and South Korean semiconductor industries are more high -end in global industries.Japan and South Korea's trade friction will inevitably cause fluctuations in the entire semiconductor industry chain, thereby bringing uncertain effect on the entire industry.
On the other hand, Japan's export restrictions on semiconductor materials for South Korea will allow South Korea to implement revenge, such as restricting imports of Japanese cars.In 2018, Japan exported more than 50,000 cars in South Korea, but South Korea exported only hundreds of Japanese cars.Therefore, Japan has a semiconductor stick against the Korean festival, and South Korea has used a car weapon.Japan and South Korea's trade war are all visible endings.
In addition, Japan's restrictions on Korean semiconductor materials also warn South Korea to accelerate the shortcomings of the semiconductor industry, such as the United States, such as the United States breaks the confession to Huawei, prompting Huawei to open the spare tire plan.From the recent perspective, Japan temporarily caught Korean companies to be passive, but it will also cause excess semiconductor materials in their country.In a long time, the Japanese semiconductor industry may lose the Korean market, which has also caused other markets to lose confidence in Japan.
Even more importantly, Japan's economic and trade sticks on the Korean festival, South Korea believes that it is a political revenge.In this situation, the new hatred of Japan and South Korea's relations overlap, and the structural contradictions are deeper.In particular, the mutual evil emotions of the people of the two countries have stirred. South Korean society is initiating resistance to Japanese goods. The Japanese people are highly raised in favor of trade sanctions on South Korea.The intensification of democratic emotions between the two countries is far more terrible than the trade friction between the two countries.
Faced with the two important allies, the performance of the United States is nothing to do.On July 12, State, Assistant State of the Asia -Pacific Affairs of the United States State Department, emphasized that the United States did not intend to mediate Japan and South Korea's trade issues and called on both parties to dialogue to solve the problem.The United States clarified itself, and the contradiction between Japan and South Korea was entangled.
Japanese and Korean trade frictions, a dangerous game of hatred.
(The author is a senior researcher at the Chahar Society, a guest researcher at the Chongyang Financial Research Institute of Renmin University of China)
