Japan on Saturday urged China to keep talking after Beijing told its citizens not to travel to Japan, Kyodo News reported.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo had “conveyed the message to China and strongly asked it to take appropriate actions,” without giving further details.
“China’s view is not in line with Japan’s understanding. It is precisely because differences remain that multilayered communication between Japan and China is essential,” Kihara told reporters.
The appeal from Tokyo comes amid a dispute over comments by Japan’s new leader about Taiwan, the self-governing island China claims as part of its territory.
China warned its citizens against visiting Japan “in the near future” late Friday, noting Japan is a popular destination for Chinese tourists.
“Recently, Japanese leaders have made blatantly provocative remarks regarding Taiwan, severely damaging the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges,” the Chinese embassy in Japan said, adding the situation poses “significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan.”
After the warning, Air China, China Southern and China Eastern offered full refunds or free itinerary changes for Japan travel through December 31.
On November 7, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office last month, told parliament that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could create a “survival-threatening situation” that might require Japan to use its forces in self-defense.
She said that if an emergency on the island involved “battleships and the use of force, then that could constitute a situation threatening the survival (of Japan), any way you slice it.”
Under security legislation passed in 2015, Japan may exercise collective self-defense under certain conditions.
Takaichi’s remarks drew strong objections from China. She has refused to retract the statement, saying it aligns with the government’s traditional position, though she — a vocal critic of China and its military buildup in the Asia-Pacific — said she would avoid similar comments going forward.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
