China issues travel advisory to Japan for interference on Taiwan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 11:23

China urges citizens to avoid Japan as PM Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks escalate tensions, challenging decades of China-Japan relations.

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Former Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, right, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, attend their meeting on March 22, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP)

China has formally urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, building on a sharp escalation in a diplomatic dispute triggered by remarks from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about a possible military interference in Taiwan.

The advisory, jointly issued by China’s Foreign Ministry and its embassies and consulates in Japan, cites a “deteriorating security environment” and “significant risks” to the safety of Chinese nationals in Japan, warning of a rise in “criminal offences and incidents of attacks” targeting Chinese citizens on Japanese soil.

The move comes after Takaichi, speaking to Japan’s parliament on November 7, said that a Chinese military operation involving Taiwan could amount to a situation “threatening [Japan’s] survival,” a scenario under which Tokyo might invoke its right of collective self-defense. Under Japan’s 2015 security legislation, Japan's Self-Defense Forces could respond if the country faces such a threat.

Beijing hits back hard

China has reacted with strong condemnation. At a press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Takaichi is “grossly violating” the One-China principle and interfering in China’s internal affairs.

He added that any Japanese intervention in cross‑strait issues would be viewed as an act of aggression, and promised a “firm response.”

In a reflection of its diplomatic anger, Beijing has demanded that Takaichi retract her comments, calling them “egregious” and warning Tokyo that it “must bear all consequences” otherwise.

The row intensified after Xue Jian, the Chinese consul general in Osaka, posted a since-deleted message on social media against Takaichi, writing, “the dirty head that recklessly sticks itself in must be cut off … without hesitation.” Tokyo strongly condemned the post, delivering a formal protest.

Impact on people-to-people ties and tourism

The Foreign Ministry said Takaichi’s remarks have “severely damaged the atmosphere” for people-to-people exchanges.

According to Japan Tourism Agency statistics, Chinese visitors to Japan make up nearly a quarter of all foreign tourists. Nearly 7.5 million visitors from mainland China have traveled to the country in the first nine months of this year, The Japan Times reported.

This escalation comes amid broader regional tensions. Taiwan and Japan have expressed concern over what they view as a growing China–US rapprochement following recent high-level talks between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. Taiwanese officials worry that any warming between Washington and Beijing could produce concessions that weaken their interests, underscoring the urgency behind Japan’s more assertive posture, which is also negatively affected by improving economic and diplomatic US-China ties.

Japan’s historical aggression against China

Japan’s relationship with China is deeply shaped by history. From the early 20th century through World War II, Japan’s military invasions and occupations of Chinese territory left a legacy of mistrust and trauma, resulting from countless war crimes that continue to influence bilateral relations.

Post-war, Tokyo officially recognized the One-China Policy, establishing diplomatic ties with Beijing in 1972 and formally renouncing claims over Taiwan.

In recent years, however, Japan has gradually shifted toward a more aggressive, even militant posture, moving to contain China's growing influence. Legal reforms in 2015 expanded the scope of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, allowing limited military operations abroad, and eroding Tokyo's traditional passive military doctrine.

Takaichi’s recent statements on Taiwan underscore a willingness to contemplate military action in scenarios previously considered beyond Japan’s defensive mandate, marking a departure from decades of cautious adherence to the One-China principle and signaling heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.