China Urges Citizens to Avoid Travel to Japan

China has called on its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan, escalating tensions between the two countries after a series of diplomatic disputes sparked by remarks from Japan’s new prime minister relating to a potential attack on Taiwan.

The controversy began after comments made by Sanae Takaichi on 7 November were interpreted as suggesting that any Chinese military action against Taiwan, the self-governed island located just 100 kilometers from the nearest Japanese territory, could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Beijing responded on Friday by summoning the Japanese ambassador to lodge a formal protest. Tokyo later summoned the Chinese ambassador over what it described as an inappropriate social media post that was subsequently removed. Japan has maintained that its official position on Taiwan remains unchanged.

The Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a notice on WeChat late on Friday, warning Chinese nationals to avoid travelling to Japan.

The advisory stated that recent statements by Japanese leaders had significantly damaged the atmosphere of people-to-people exchanges and that the current situation poses serious risks to the personal safety and well-being of Chinese citizens in Japan. The embassy urged Chinese nationals to avoid travel to Japan in the near future.