Last November, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takamichi made remarks about “Taiwan contingency,” relations between Japan and China sharply deteriorated. According to Japanese media reports, many universities in China have been citing “national regulations” as a reason to cancel exchange programs to Japan, causing distress among Chinese students to the point of sleeplessness.
A report by Asahi Shimbun on May 4 revealed that, upon its investigation, many prestigious universities in China have successively canceled exchange programs to Japan. Out of the 27 universities surveyed, a staggering 21 have indicated a suspension of exchange programs, shattering the dreams of many students.
Officials from Fudan University in Shanghai stated their school’s stance of “not encouraging students to study in Japan” and halted exchange programs for the new semester starting in April. Similarly, Beijing Forestry University discouraged students from applying to study in Japan, leading to zero applications. While some universities are maintaining current exchange programs, they have decided to discontinue related programs for the upcoming fall semester.
The report noted that in November 2025, the Chinese Ministry of Education advised citizens to carefully consider studying in Japan, seen as a retaliatory measure against Takamichi’s remarks. Many Chinese universities that have stopped exchange programs cite “international environmental influences” as the reason, but Shigeto Sonoda, a special professor at the University of Tokyo, suggested that it could be a result of “reading between the lines” of government intentions.
The shift in school policies caught many Chinese students off guard.
A male junior student from Liaoning Province who had planned to study at Kagoshima University on an exchange program for a year starting in April found his plans halted by the university just before departure, citing “national regulations.” He confessed, “I was so upset that I couldn’t sleep all night.” He had started learning Japanese in high school and hoped to work in Japan in the future, stating that the suspension of his study abroad would alter many people’s lives.
A female sophomore student from Zhejiang Province had planned to study abroad at Chiba University for an exchange program in October but received a cancellation notification in early March. She expressed her love for the Japanese stage and actors, saying, “I thought studying abroad would bring me closer to my dreams, but now it’s been abruptly interrupted.”
Another female junior student from Zhejiang Province had initially intended to study at Nishogakusha University on an exchange program. While the university cited “force majeure” as the reason for canceling the program, she still set attending graduate school in Japan as her goal, stating, “Even though it’s challenging, I don’t want to give up the opportunity to go to Japan.”
Asahi Shimbun reported that Japan is also facing situations where students cannot go to China for exchanges.
Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, which participates in the Campus Asia exchange program that rotates students between universities in China and South Korea for a semester, had to cancel the trip for four students who were supposed to go to China due to China’s refusal to receive students.
Furthermore, several Japanese universities including Hokkaido University, Nagoya University, Ehime University, Shimane University, Hiroshima University, Oita University, and Kagoshima University have received notifications from some partner schools to suspend exchange student programs.
The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology stated that since last November, besides a decrease in the number of Chinese students coming to Japan, there have also been cases of Japanese students facing obstacles going to China. However, a comprehensive investigation has not yet been conducted, and they will continue monitoring the situation.
Despite obstacles in inter-university exchanges, individual applications to enter Japanese universities or language schools for studies are ongoing. An operator who runs a cram school for Chinese students seeking entrance to Japanese universities in Shinjuku, Tokyo, mentioned that the number of new students in April is “roughly the same as last year.”