China advises citizens against travel to Japan amid escalating Taiwan dispute; Tokyo protests
China issued a travel advisory urging citizens to avoid Japan, citing security risks and remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding potential intervention in Taiwan. Japan formally protested the warning.
November 15, 2025 - 06:06 PM ET • 2 min read
China has advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, escalating a diplomatic feud sparked by comments from Tokyo's new prime minister regarding a hypothetical attack on Taiwan.
The Chinese embassy in Japan posted the warning online Friday, stating that recent "blatantly provocative remarks" by Japanese leaders had severely damaged the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges and presented "significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan." Authorities in Beijing also cited a deterioration of public security and incidents against Chinese citizens over the past year as reasons for the advisory.
Japan formally lodged a protest against the travel warning on Saturday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged China to take "appropriate measures," according to reports from Tokyo. Kihara told reporters that while differences remain between the two governments, multilayered communication is essential.
The diplomatic tension centers on remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on November 7. Speaking to Japan's parliament, Takaichi suggested that the use of force against the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, could warrant a military response from Tokyo. Her statement referenced Japan's security law, which allows the activation of its Self-Defense Forces if an attack on an ally poses an existential threat to Japan.
China reacted strongly to Takaichi's comments. A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Jiang Bin, called the remarks "extremely dangerous" and a "grave interference" in China's internal affairs. China also warned Japan that it would "pay a painful price" if it attempted to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait.
Japan has since stated that its position on Taiwan, which lies just 100 kilometers from the nearest Japanese island, remains unchanged.
Adding a layer of military tension to the crisis, China announced real-fire military maneuvers in a designated part of the Yellow Sea. State media reported Saturday that the temporary navigation prohibition would be in effect between Monday and Wednesday. While the maritime safety administration notice announcing the drills did not specify the nature of the training or the armaments to be used, the timing coincides directly with the heightened diplomatic friction between Beijing and Tokyo.