Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks in parliament regarding a 'Taiwan contingency' have sparked strong dissatisfaction from China. Following a summons of the Japanese ambassador to express a strong protest, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a notice on the 14th to 'remind' Chinese citizens to temporarily avoid traveling to Japan, further escalating tensions between the two sides.
On the 14th, the Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a notice on its official website: 'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese embassies and consulates in Japan solemnly remind Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future. Chinese citizens already in Japan should closely monitor the local security situation, raise their awareness of safety precautions, and strengthen self-protection.'
According to a Bloomberg News report, this measure is the first major counter-action taken by Beijing in this dispute. Neo Wang, chief China macro analyst at New York’s Evercore Advisory Partners, stated that Beijing is playing a familiar card — leveraging the spending power of Chinese tourists — to raise the political cost of Takaichi’s Taiwan-related remarks and stance on Taiwan. The hope is that by generating greater domestic pressure, she will be more cautious on sensitive issues involving China.
Japanese statistics show that nearly 7.5 million Chinese travelers visited Japan in the first nine months of this year, accounting for nearly a quarter of all foreign visitors.