TOKYO, May 30. /TASS/. Anti-Russian sanctions, imposed by Japan over the situation in Ukraine, may affect 15,000 Japanese companies in this or that form, the Asahi newspaper reported on Monday.
The negative effects are linked primarily to export and import restrictions. When imposing its sanctions against the Russian government, the government of Japan was guided by its previous experience of sanctions on North Korea, imposed over its missile and nuclear programs. Nevertheless, according to Asahi, negative effects from anti-Russian sanctions turned out to be much stronger.
According to the publication, one of Japan’s most important present-day goals is to deter China, and Tokyo expects anti-Russian sanctions to help strengthen its cooperation with the West, aimed at counteracting Beijing.
Earlier, Japanese think tank Teikoku Databank said that at least 50.6% Japanese companies were experiencing various difficulties related to purchase of raw materials over the situation in Ukraine and Russia’s military operation in the country. In this regard, over 40% companies have already increased or are planning to increase prices during the current fiscal year, which began in Japan in April.
Japan has previously imposed several packages of sanctions on Russia due to the situation around Ukraine. Personal sanctions targeted the country's leadership, officials and businessmen. The blacklists contain over 700 citizens of Russia, Belarus, the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), as well as more than 200 Russian companies and entities.
The list of goods and technologies prohibited for export has more than 300 entries, including semiconductors, equipment for maritime and aviation security, telecommunications equipment, military products, including weapons, software and oil refining equipment. In addition, Japan froze the assets of Otkritie Bank, Novikombank, Sovcombank, VTB, Rossiya Bank, Promsvyazbank and VEB.RF.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation in response to a request for help from the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, but aimed to demilitarize and denazify the country. The US and its allies responded with severe sanctions and ramped up weapons supplies to Kiev.