China has detained two Japanese citizens on suspicion of smuggling banned products, the Japanese government said on Wednesday, adding to rising tensions between the two countries.

日本政府周三表示，中国以涉嫌走私禁运产品为由拘留了两名日本公民。此举加剧了两国之间的紧张关系。

The Japanese nationals were detained in May in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, according to a statement by Japan’s government. Chinese officials have indicated that they are being held on “on suspicion of violating the law and smuggling goods that are prohibited from being imported or exported,” Minoru Kihara, a top Japanese cabinet official, said at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.

根据日本政府的声明，这两名日本国民于5月在中国东北城市大连被拘留。日本内阁高级官员木原稔周三在东京的新闻发布会上表示，中国官员称他们因涉嫌触犯“走私国家禁止进出口的货物、物品罪”被拘留。

He added that Japan is working to “respond appropriately from the perspective of protecting Japanese nationals.”

他补充说，日本正努力“从保护日本人的角度妥善应对”。

Japanese news outlets reported that the detention appeared to be related to the export of rare earths — minerals that are used to make a range of essential technologies — by a Japanese firm operating in the mainland. But Japanese officials declined to provide further details, saying the matter was under investigation.

日本新闻媒体报道称，此次拘留似乎与一家在大陆运营的日本公司出口稀土有关——稀土是用于各种关键技术制造的矿物。但日本官员拒绝提供更多细节，称此事正在调查中。

The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

中国外交部未立即回应置评请求。

China has severely restricted the export of rare earths to Japan in recent months, part of its campaign to punish Tokyo over a comment in November by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a China hawk. She told the Japanese Parliament that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could incite a military response from Tokyo.

最近几个月，中国严厉限制了对日本的稀土出口，这是其惩罚东京行动的一部分，起因是对华采取强硬态度的日本首相高市早苗去年11月发表的言论。她告诉日本国会，假设中国对台湾发动攻击，东京可能作出军事回应。

China, which considers Taiwan, a self-governed democracy, part of its territory, responded by unleashing a wave of political and economic reprisals against Japan.

中国将台湾这个自治民主政体视为其领土的一部分，因此对日本发动了一系列政治和经济报复。

China dominates the global supply of rare earths. It cut exports of them to Japan by more than 80 percent in March and April compared with last year, according to Nikkei, a Japanese media company. That has forced Japanese companies to scramble for alternatives.

中国主导着全球稀土供应。据日本媒体《日经新闻》报道，今年3月和4月，中国对日本的稀土出口同比减少了80%以上。这迫使日本企业紧急寻找替代方案。

Ms. Takaichi raised the issue of China’s stranglehold on rare earths during the recent Group of 7 summit meeting in France. She pitched a plan to create a joint stockpile of critical minerals among the seven nations.

高市早苗在最近于法国举行的七国集团峰会上提出了中国对稀土的垄断问题。她提议在七国之间建立关键矿产的联合储备。

As part of its efforts to punish Japan, Beijing has restricted the import of Japanese seafood and discouraged Chinese citizens from visiting Japan. China has also ramped up its presence in the seas surrounding Japan. Beijing recently led coast guard patrols in the waters between Japan and Taiwan.

作为惩罚日本行动的一部分，北京限制了日本海鲜的进口，并劝阻中国公民前往日本。中国还加强了在日本周边海域的存在。北京最近主导了日本和台湾之间水域的海警巡逻。

Japan said on Wednesday that a Chinese mobile drilling vessel has recently anchored in the East China Sea. Japanese officials have expressed concern about China’s development of gas fields in those waters, saying Beijing has done so without input from Japan.

日本周三表示，一艘中国移动钻探船最近停泊在东海。日本官员对中国在这些水域开发天然气田表示担忧，称北京的行动没有征求日本的意见。

At the news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Kihara denounced the move.

在周三的新闻发布会上，木原稔谴责了这一举动。

“It is extremely regrettable that, despite repeated protests from Japan, China continues to engage in unilateral development activities in these waters and attempts to create a fait accompli,” he said.

他说：“尽管日本一再抗议，但中国继续在这些水域进行单方面开发活动，并试图制造既成事实，这非常令人遗憾。”