Japan called China's ban on dual-use exports for its military "absolutely unacceptable" on Wednesday, amid a looming threat of broader curbs on vital rare earths in an escalating dispute between Asia's top two economies.

China has banned exports of some rare earth elements and other items to Japan that could be used for military purposes, straining already tense relations between the two countries following the Japanese prime minister’s recent remarks on Taiwan.

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.

Over recent years, the chewy rice cakes have killed and hospitalized hundreds of people in Japan, where it is eaten to celebrate the new year.

Japan’s lack of public trash cans often surprises visitors, but cultural norms and safety concerns explain why travelers carry their trash all day.

Lately a diplomatic spat with China has begun depressing the number of people coming to Japan from that country—but even this does not seem to have much deterred Japan’s leaders from their course. Three related trends have fuelled what anxious Japanese have come to call the “foreigner problem”.

Japan said on Wednesday that China's ban on exports of dual-use items to the country was "absolutely unacceptable and deeply regrettable", as a diplomatic dispute between Asia's top two economies intensified.

An employee at Japan's nuclear safety agency lost his work phone containing sensitive information during a personal trip to China, Japanese media report.