China Tells Tourists to Avoid Japan — Feud Escalates over PM Takaichi Sanae’s Taiwan Support
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a bulletin on Sunday to “solemnly remind” Chinese tourists that they should avoid traveling to Japan for the foreseeable future, alleging that their safety cannot be guaranteed.
The newsletter exhorted Chinese visitors to Japan should “raise security awareness, strengthen self-protection, promptly call the police, and contact Chinese embassies or consulates in case of emergency.”
The newsletter follow up a travel advisory from China’s Foreign Ministry issued Friday warning of “unsettled public security in Japan and multiple illegal and criminal incidents targeting Chinese nationals since the beginning of this year.”
“The atmosphere surrounding people-to-people exchanges has seriously deteriorated, posing serious risks to the security of Chinese citizens,” the Foreign Ministry said. said.
The travel warnings were part of the rapidly escalating diplomatic row between China and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, who furious Beijing ten days ago, telling the Japanese parliament that a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be considered a “situation threatening the survival of Japan.”
Japan has made no secret of its support for Taiwan, but previous prime ministers have avoided using the exact language Takaichi chose because “survival-threatening” situations can trigger a military response under Japan’s pacifist postwar constitution. The Chinese felt that Takaichi was more explicit than previous prime ministers in asserting that Japan would fight China to protect Taiwan.
Takaichi is also Japan’s first female prime minister and there was an unmistakable hint of misogyny in some Chinese responses when China’s belligerent militaristic “wolf warriors” looked up to a Japanese woman daring to threaten them. A Chinese diplomat stationed in Japan went so far as to threaten to cut off Takaichi’s head.
That diplomat, Xue Jian, appeared to still be at his post in Osaka on Monday – even after the Japanese government summoned his boss, the ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao, to formulate a “strong protest against these highly inappropriate comments”.
The travel advisory issued Friday by China’s Foreign Ministry cited Takaichi’s “blatantly provocative remarks toward Taiwan” as one of the reasons why Chinese travelers should consider Japan unsafe at this time. Japan is normally a popular destination for Chinese tourists and students.
The Hong Kong government, controlled by Beijing, also issued a travel advisory for Japan, worded very similarly to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s advisory.
Kihara Minoru, Japanese Cabinet Secretary-General critical China travel advisory Monday.
“An announcement that appears to reduce bilateral people-to-people exchanges is inconsistent with the broad directions confirmed by our leaders, such as promoting a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship and building a constructive and stable relationship,” Kihara said.
“We will closely monitor the situation, including the impact of the series of measures taken by the Chinese side, and respond appropriately,” he said.
Several Chinese travel agencies would have canceled all trips to Japan after the advisories were issued, saying they were unsure whether trips to Japan would be possible before the start of the new year. Major Chinese airlines have announced that they will offer full refunds and free rescheduling for flights to Japan between November 15 and December 31.
Chinese Ministry of Education on Sunday issued a warning that read: “Security in Japan is volatile, with many cases of crimes against Chinese citizens. »
The bulletin does not expressly prohibit Chinese students from studying in Japan, but asks them to “pay close attention to the local security situation, strengthen risk assessment, and effectively improve prevention awareness.”
The Chinese state World Time Sunday with joy reported that China’s travel warnings have “raised widespread attention and concern within Japanese society”, including fear that a shortage of Chinese tourists could have a significant impact on Japan’s tourism industry.
THE World Time claimed that “opposition to Takaichi’s Diet remarks is intensifying” and that “the Japanese government is distressed” by China’s punitive response – which could go even further to denying Japan access to exports such as rare earth minerals.
“Takaichi should retract his erroneous comments about interfering in China’s internal affairs, apologize to the Chinese government and resign as prime minister,” Matsushima Yasukatsu, a professor at Ryukoku University, was quoted approvingly by the newspaper as saying. World Times.
Matsushima pleased the Chinese Communist newspaper by addressing one of China’s current favorite talking points, that Takaichi’s “unwarranted comments” reflect “the resurgence of historical revisionism in Japan.”
By “historical revisionism,” China means people in other countries who refuse to accept the Chinese Communist Party’s revised history of World War II, in which Chinese forces loyal to communism almost single-handedly defeated Imperial Japan and “liberated” the island of Formosa from Japanese control.
In reality, the Chinese forces that did most of the fighting against Japan were aligned with the Kuomintang and were so weakened by this effort that the communists were able to take control of China and drive them into exile. The Kuomintang established itself in Formosa, now known as Taiwan.
Current Chinese communist propaganda treats the Taiwanese government as an illegitimate occupier who is a puppet of Japanese and Western imperialism. Thus, invading Taiwan would essentially mean completing the work of “liberating” or “repatriating” the island that began during World War II.
China has a long history to issue exaggerated “travel advisories” on countries with which it has political arguments, including the United States during trade disputes in April, Australia during the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, and South Korea in 2017 when it decided to deploy an advanced U.S. anti-missile system.
The Chinese coast guard on Sunday suddenly decided to conduct a “rights patrol” in the disputed Senkaku Islands, claimed by China and Japan.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has monitored a surge in Chinese naval activity between Taiwan and the Senkaku island chain, combined with a “joint combat patrol” intended to “harass the air and maritime space” around Taiwan.
