Beijing advised citizens against traveling to Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan could intervene militarily in a conflict over Taiwan, a move described as the strongest official rebuke so far. Hong Kong issued a similar notice, and seven Chinese airlines are offering refunds or rebooking through year-end. Chinese officials demanded a retraction—using inflammatory language—and Takaichi has so far refused. Former PM Shigeru Ishiba also criticized her remarks as effectively treating a Taiwan contingency as a Japan contingency.
China Warns Citizens Against Travel to Japan After PM Takaichi's Taiwan Remarks
Beijing advised citizens against traveling to Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan could intervene militarily in a conflict over Taiwan, a move described as the strongest official rebuke so far. Hong Kong issued a similar notice, and seven Chinese airlines are offering refunds or rebooking through year-end. Chinese officials demanded a retraction—using inflammatory language—and Takaichi has so far refused. Former PM Shigeru Ishiba also criticized her remarks as effectively treating a Taiwan contingency as a Japan contingency.
06:55 AM, 11/16/2025Conflict
China issues travel advisory after Japanese PM's comments on Taiwan
Beijing on Friday advised Chinese citizens to avoid travel to Japan following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Japan could use military force in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. While the advisory does not legally ban travel, officials framed it as a serious warning, the strongest official rebuke to date, according to CNN.
Regional responses and airline actions. Hong Kong's Security Bureau issued a similar notice to residents on Saturday. Meanwhile, seven Chinese carriers informed passengers booked to Japan that they may receive refunds or change their routes through the end of the year.
What Takaichi said. Last week, Takaichi told lawmakers that if China used military force against Taiwan the situation could become one of self-defense and might prompt a Japanese military response. She has declined calls to retract the remarks, China Daily reported.
Chinese officials demanded a retraction and at times used inflammatory language—one official reportedly called Takaichi an "evil witch," and another used a metaphor about cutting off a "dirty neck" that meddled in Chinese affairs, NBC News reported.
Domestic political fallout in Japan. Former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba criticized Takaichi on a radio interview, saying her comments were "very close to claiming that a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency," and noting that many national leaders have avoided specifying how their countries might respond to potential contingencies over Taiwan.
Background. China asserts sovereignty over Taiwan and has not ruled out using military force to press its claim on the self-governing island. Taiwan became the refuge of Chinese Nationalist forces after the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949.
The developments highlight growing diplomatic friction between Beijing and Tokyo amid broader regional concerns about stability in the Taiwan Strait. Reporting referenced CNN, NBC News and China Daily.