The Chinese government has warned its citizens not to visit Japan, at a time when tension around Taiwan is increasing following statements by the new Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. Beijing considers that for the first time in 80 years a Japanese leader has “launched a military threat against China”.
China has issued a warning to its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future, in what is the first significant gesture of retaliation by Beijing, following recent statements by the prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who stated this week that Tokyo could intervene militarily if China resorted to force against Taiwan.
“Recently, Japanese leaders made openly provocative statements over Taiwan, seriously damaging the environment for people-to-people contacts between China and Japan and putting the safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan at significant risk,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released on Friday night, cited by .
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Japan, solemnly remind Chinese citizens which should avoid traveling to Japan in the near future”, added the same note.
According to , this Saturday, three of the largest Chinese airlines — Air China, China Southern and China Eastern — published on their websites statements offering full refunds or change of dates for flights to Japan, from Saturday until December 31st.
The Chinese government’s warning to its citizens not to visit Japan, a measure that could have a significant non-tourism impactwas Beijing’s first concrete step towards penalize Tokyo for Takaichi’s statementsa , recently elected as the first woman to lead the Japanese government.
Os Chinese tourists represent almost 1/4 of total visitors foreigners to Japan, according to data from the Japanese Tourism Agency, with almost 7.5 million citizens from the Chinese mainland visiting the country in the first nine months of this year.
China has a history of resort to economic instruments to pressure Japan. In 2010, it was widely interpreted that Beijing had unofficially suspended rare earth exports to Japan during a dispute over Senkaku Islandsadministered by Japan but claimed by China.
No dia 7, Takaichi broke with years of precedent in the pastby suggesting in parliament that Japan could provide military support to Taiwan in certain “worst-case scenarios,” such as a Chinese attack on democratic island.
“If warships and a naval blockade are used involve the use of force, I believe that This would constitute a ‘situation of threat to survival’ for Japan”, said Takaichi, suggesting that the conditions would be met to mobilize the Self-Defense Forces under the right to collective self-defense.
Both Japan and China have sought to maintain stability in a relationship increasingly tensewith both countries committing to promoting a “mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests”.
Beijing repeatedly demanded that Takaichi withdraw his statementsa request that the Prime Minister refused — although she softened her speech this week, claiming that she did not intend to contradict the positions of previous governments, which deliberately left Tokyo’s answers vague to possible Chinese action on Taiwan.
Even so, This was not enough to appease Chinawhich considers Taiwan “the core of its fundamental interests” and has promised to bring the democratic island of 23 million people under its control, using force if necessary.
Also on Friday, the Chinese Defense Ministry warned Japan against any possible military intervention in the case of Taiwan.
“If the Japanese side not knowing how to learn lessons from history and daring to take risksor even resorting to force to interfere in the Taiwan issue, will only suffer a crushing defeat before the People’s Liberation Armywith a will of steel, and will pay a high price”, declared the spokesperson Jiang Bin.
The People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, said in an editorial published Friday that Takaichi’s statements represented the first time in 80 years that a Japanese leader “launched a military threat against China”.
On Thursday, Lin Jianspokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned that any attempt by Japan at armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait “would be an act of aggression and would certainly receive a firm response from China.”
Recently, the Chinese military intensified training and exercises military close to the island, leaving Tokyo apprehensive and leading senior government and ruling party officials to assert that an emergency in Taiwan would also represent an emergency for Japan.
These fears are widely cited as a determining factor behind the strengthening of Japanese defense capabilities.
According to experts, although Takaichi’s unprecedented statement on Taiwan may does not indicate a clear change in policy regarding Taipei, his words, whether or not they are Tokyo’s official position, should be seen as part of a gradual and broader evolution of Japan’s relationship with Taiwan and the growing fear of China’s intentions on the democratic island.
