Amid escalating tensions between China and Japan over the Taiwan issue, Beijing’s warning to Chinese citizens not to travel to Japan prompted Japan to call on China on Saturday (November 15) to make a “appropriate response” to mitigate the negative impact on the situation.
Last Friday (November 7), Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Kaisho Saonae stated during parliamentary questioning that a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait could be considered a “threat to Japan’s survival.” With the Chinese Communist Party continually threatening to “unify” Taiwan and not ruling out the use of force, Saonae’s statement essentially provides a legal basis for Japan to exercise its collective self-defense rights and intervene militarily, leading to a strong reaction from China.
On Friday evening (November 14), the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs suddenly issued a travel warning, urging Chinese citizens to “temporarily avoid traveling to Japan,” citing Japan’s recent remarks on the Taiwan Strait and claiming that Chinese citizens in Japan are “facing significant risks.”
According to Kyodo News, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihara Minoru on Saturday stated that Japan has lodged a protest with China and “strongly requested an appropriate response” to avoid overreacting.
Yoshihara emphasized that despite differences between Japan and China on the Taiwan issue, maintaining communication is crucial.
Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned the Japanese ambassador to Beijing on Thursday (November 13) and warned that Saonae should retract her remarks, or else “the Japanese side must bear all consequences.”
Saonae reiterated on November 7 that her statements regarding a potential crisis in Taiwan affecting Japan’s survival were based on the government’s existing views, and she has “no intention of retracting or cancelling” them.
According to the official Chinese media Xinhua News Agency, three Chinese airlines announced on Saturday that tickets to Japan can be refunded or changed for free. This move is seen as weaponizing Chinese tourists to exert economic pressure on Japan.
On Saturday, the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration website issued a navigation warning, stating that live-fire exercises will be conducted in parts of the central Yellow Sea for three consecutive days from November 17 to 19.
Presidential spokesperson Kuo Yahuai emphasized on Saturday that Taiwan and Japan share values of freedom and democracy, as well as mutual development and prosperity in trade and economics, with close and friendly ties between the two peoples.
Kuo bluntly stated that Beijing’s authorities have been making various types of compound threats against Japan for political purposes, posing a “heightened threat to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.” She urged China to “immediately cease such inappropriate unilateral actions, return to the correct international rules-based track, and not become a troublemaker in the international community.”
Although China is an important tourism market for Japan, accounting for nearly a quarter of foreign visitors, some commentators suggest that China’s political travel warnings may inadvertently benefit Japan.
In recent years, Japan has been struggling with “overtourism,” leading to congestion in cities like Kyoto and increased environmental pressures, significantly affecting the quality of life for local residents.
Many analysts believe that while China’s economic threats are aimed at pressuring Saonae’s statements, the decrease in visitors it brings could offer popular tourist cities in Japan a temporary respite, allowing Japan to alleviate the pressure of overtourism without actively implementing travel restrictions.