Avoid Japan travel, China tells citizens

Avoid Japan travel, China tells citizens | Daily Tribune

BEIJING (AFP) — China has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan, following a diplomatic feud sparked by remarks from Tokyo’s new premier about a hypothetical attack on Taiwan.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on 7 November that use of force against the self-ruled island claimed by China could warrant a military response from Tokyo.

On Friday, Beijing said that it had summoned Japan’s ambassador, while Tokyo said it had summoned China’s ambassador after an “inappropriate” and now-removed online post.

Tokyo has since said its position on Taiwan, just 100 kilometers from the nearest Japanese island, is unchanged.

In an online post late Friday, China’s embassy in Japan warned its citizens against travelling to the country.

“Recently, Japanese leaders have made blatantly provocative remarks regarding Taiwan, severely damaging the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges,” the WeChat post said.

The situation presents “significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan,” it added.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan solemnly remind Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Japan in the near future.”

Reacting to the statement, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters Saturday that Beijing’s call was “inconsistent with the promotion of a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship,” Jiji Press reported.

The Japanese government has requested the Chinese side to take “appropriate measures,” Jiji reported.

Beijing insists Taiwan, which Japan occupied for decades until 1945, is part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to seize control.

China and Japan are key trading partners, but historical mistrust and friction over territorial rivalries and military spending often test those ties.

Takaichi, a conservative and China hawk, has toned down her rhetoric since assuming office last month.

But just weeks into her administration, the neighbors are at odds.

Addressing parliament on 7 November, Takaichi said that an armed attack on Taiwan could warrant sending troops to the island under “collective self-defense.”

If an emergency in Taiwan entails “battleships and the use of force, then that could constitute a situation threatening the survival (of Japan), any way you slice it,” she said.

Security legislation passed in 2015 allows Japan to exercise the right to “collective self-defense” under certain conditions including if there was a clear danger to the country’s survival.