BEIJING, Jan 26 (Reuters) – China on Monday warned its citizens against travelling to Japan during the Lunar New Year, its longest public holiday, as Beijing’s anger over a comment Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made in early November about democratically governed Taiwan showed no signs of abating.
Citing “a surge in crimes targeting Chinese citizens” and earthquakes, the Chinese foreign ministry said nationals “face serious security threats in Japan,” according to a statement it released.
Beijing has issued similar warnings following Takaichi’s remark in November suggesting that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
The remark infuriated Beijing, which has responded with export curbs, flight cancellations, and vitriolic state media commentaries. Its defence ministry warned Tokyo of a “crushing” military defeat if it were to use force to intervene over Taiwan.
Major Chinese airlines including Air China, China Eastern and China Southern Airlines, on Monday extended their free-of-charge change and cancellation policies for Japan-related flights until October 24. The airlines first announced the policies in November in the wake of Takaichi’s remark and then last month extended them until this March.
The number of Chinese tourists to Japan plunged 45% in December, but overall tourist numbers to Japan hit a record high, Japan’s tourism minister said last week.
While Takaichi has not retracted her November remark, she has tempered it by reaffirming Japan’s position on China’s “One China policy”. She has also said that China’s characterisation of her remarks are inconsistent with facts.
At a January 19 press conference to announce a snap election, Takaichi observed that: “China has conducted military exercises around Taiwan, and economic coercion is increasingly being used through control of key supply-chain materials.” She added that: “The international security environment is becoming more severe.”
While warning its nationals to shun trips to Japan, Beijing has been upbeat about a “tourism boom” with another of its eastern Asian neighbours – South Korea – as it seeks to shore up ties with Seoul following the rupture with Tokyo.
Buoyed by visa-free policies, the numbers of South Korean tourists to China and Chinese visitors to South Korea have been on the rise.
“This two-way tourism boom is a microcosm of the growing economic exchanges and cooperation between China and South Korea,” state-run tabloid Global Times said in a editorial published on Sunday.
(Reporting by Xiuhao Chen and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Hugh Lawson)
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