Beijing has issued a travel warning to its citizens advising against travel to Japan, following a week of escalating tensions and diplomatic sparring between the two nations. The move comes after controversial statements made by Japan’s new Prime Minister regarding a hypothetical attack on Taiwan.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks, made on November 7th, were interpreted as suggesting that a Chinese offensive against the self-governing island of Taiwan, located a mere 100 kilometers from Japan’s nearest island, could potentially trigger a military response from Tokyo. This interpretation has ignited fury in Beijing.
Yesterday, Beijing summoned the Japanese ambassador to lodge a formal protest. Tokyo retaliated by summoning the Chinese ambassador in response to what it described as an ‘inappropriate’ online post, which was later deleted. Japan has maintained that its official stance on Taiwan remains unchanged.
The Chinese embassy in Japan issued its travel advisory late Friday via a post on WeChat. The post stated that ‘Japanese leaders have recently made outrageously provocative statements regarding Taiwan, which have severely damaged the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges.’ The statement further cautioned that this situation poses ‘significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan.’
‘The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Japan formally remind Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future,’ the advisory concluded.
Beijing insists that Taiwan, which was under Japanese occupation for decades until 1945, is an integral part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. The current diplomatic row underscores the fragility of relations in the region and raises concerns about potential further escalation.
