China issued a strong travel warning to its citizens, advising them to avoid going to Japan. The warning is the latest step in a serious diplomatic fight over comments made by a Japanese official about Taiwan.
The argument began when Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, told parliament on November 7 that Japan might respond with military force if Taiwan were attacked.
In an online statement, China’s embassy in Japan told its citizens to stay away, saying: “Recently, Japanese leaders have made blatantly provocative remarks regarding Taiwan, severely damaging the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges.”
The embassy warned of “significant risks” to the safety of Chinese nationals and urged them to avoid travelling to Japan “in the near future.”
Tensions have risen quickly. Both Beijing and Tokyo summoned each other’s ambassadors to complain. The dispute grew after China’s consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, made what Japan called a “threatening” online post (which has since been deleted) aimed at Takaichi. Japan’s ruling party is now calling for Xue to be expelled from the country.
China views Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out using force to take it. While China and Japan are major trading partners, their relationship is often difficult due to historical issues and security disputes.
Takaichi, known for her conservative views, later said she would avoid discussing specific military scenarios. However, she stood by her original comments, stating that a major emergency in Taiwan could be seen as a “situation threatening the survival” of Japan under its 2015 “collective self-defence” laws.
