The Chinese government has urged its citizens to use caution ahead of visits to Japan for study abroad, travel and more. As diplomatic tensions between the two countries have intensified following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about Taiwan, the move is seen as the government locking the gate on exchanges with Japan.
On the 17th (local time), state broadcaster CCTV cited the Ministry of Education and reported, "The risks to Chinese people in Japan are increasing," and advised both students currently studying abroad and those planning to study abroad to closely grasp the local public security situation.
Earlier, Prime Minister Takaichi said, "If China launches a military attack toward Taiwan, it could fall under a 'survival-threatening situation' for (Japan)," which rapidly froze relations between China and Japan. A "survival-threatening situation" refers to a situation in which, if there is a significant threat to Japanese territory or citizens due to events in neighboring countries, Japan can exercise the right of collective self-defense even if it is not directly attacked. It is unprecedented for a sitting Japanese prime minister to officially describe a Taiwan contingency as a survival-threatening situation.
Amid this, Consul General Xue Zhen in Osaka escalated the rhetoric by posting on his social media (SNS), "We have no choice but to cut off that filthy head that barged in at will. Are you ready?" In response, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Gihara lodged a protest, calling it "extremely regrettable," but the Chinese government countered that "Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks seriously violate the Japanese government's political commitment to the one-China principle."
The Chinese government has already taken steps. On the 14th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that a Japanese political leader made a blatant provocation regarding Taiwan and advised Chinese nationals to refrain from traveling to Japan. The Chinese Embassy in Japan said on its official WeChat account, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy and consulates in Japan inform you that you must exercise strict caution about visiting Japan in the near future."
The advisory to refrain from visits is expected to likely exert tangible influence on Japan's economy. Of the 31,650,500 foreign visitors to Japan through September this year, 7,487,200 were Chinese, about 24%. Six airlines, including Chinese flag carriers, are also moving in step with the government by waiving fees for canceling or changing tickets to Japan.
Militarily, the conflict is also expanding. On the 16th, the China Coast Guard patrolled the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, and from the 17th it is conducting live-fire drills for three days in areas of the Yellow Sea. The training zone is near a point where the exclusive economic zones of China and Korea overlap, and is analyzed as a region where pressure can be applied to Japan and Korea.
Meanwhile, Japan has begun a review of the "three non-nuclear principles" to allow the entry of nuclear weapons. As a nation that suffered atomic bombings, Japan has adhered since 1967 to the "three non-nuclear principles" of not manufacturing, possessing or bringing in nuclear weapons. However, according to major Japanese media such as Kyodo News recently, Prime Minister Takaichi has asked the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to review the "three non-nuclear principles." The idea is to maintain "no manufacture" and "no possession" while reviewing the "no bringing in" principle so that the United States' nuclear deterrent can be utilized in a contingency.
Within the Japanese government, some analysis suggests the current tensions could become prolonged. The Asahi Shimbun reported, "If Japan and China continue to take tougher measures, the situation in 2012—when bilateral relations hit rock bottom over the Senkaku Islands—could be replayed."