Japan has no intention of turning the dispute over China's export restrictions on rare earth materials into "a political issue," Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said Wednesday.
Japan will deal with the dispute based on the "objective rules" of the World Trade Organization, he said, adding that China must act "responsibly in the international community."
Japan, the European Union and the United States on Tuesday brought a case to the WTO over China's export restraints on the minerals, which are essential in the production of hybrid cars, smartphones and other high-tech products.