A week in which longtime tensions between neighbors China and Japan ratcheted up economically and politically is drawing to a close with no sign of improvements

More than two-thirds of Japanese firms expect the economy to suffer from frayed ties with China, with nearly half reporting or anticipating a direct business impact, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday.

Japan doesn’t seem likely to develop nuclear weapons in the short-term. However, the tensions that triggered this episode are not likely to end soon. This raises questions about the feasibility of a Japanese nuclear programme and the sustainability of Japan’s non-nuclear position.

China has escalated its trade tensions with Japan by launching an investigation into imported dichlorosilane, a chemical gas used in making semiconductors

A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in rare earths, part of Tokyo's drive to curb its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing tightens supply.

Despite these tensions, China still ranks as Japan’s largest trading partner. Extended export restrictions could shave a noticeable amount off Japan’s GDP, hundreds of billions of yen in losses and impacts on manufacturing sectors. China’s decision is a deliberate geopolitical signal in an increasingly tense East Asia.

China has banned exports to Japan of dual-use goods for military purposes. The move comes at a time of heightened tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.

China is opening an anti-dumping investigation into Japan over a chemical used in the manufacturing of semiconductors, it announced on Wednesday.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in her hometown on Tuesday, in a summit meant to stabilize ties between the two sometime-rivals as Japan's worries about Chinese power in Asia grows.