Japan on Saturday urged China to keep channels open and continue talks after Beijing advised its citizens to avoid travel to Japan, Kyodo News reported. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo has communicated its concerns to Beijing and asked China to take appropriate steps, without providing further specifics. Kihara added that China’s interpretation differs from Japan’s, and that those differences make sustained, multilayered communication between the two countries essential. The diplomatic appeal follows a dispute over remarks by Japan’s new prime minister about Taiwan, the self-governing island Beijing claims. Late Friday, China warned its citizens against visiting Japan in the near future, noting that Japan is a much-visited destination for Chinese tourists. The Chinese embassy in Tokyo said recent comments by Japanese leaders on Taiwan had been ‘‘blatantly provocative,’’ damaging people-to-people ties and creating significant risks to the safety and lives of Chinese nationals in Japan. Following Beijing’s advisory, carriers including Air China, China Southern and China Eastern offered full refunds or free itinerary changes for travel to Japan through December 31. The controversy stems from comments made on November 7 by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office last month. Takaichi told parliament that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could create a situation threatening Japan’s survival and might require Japan to use its forces in self-defense. She warned that if an emergency on the island involved battleships and the use of force, it could constitute a survival-threatening situation for Japan. Under security legislation passed in 2015, Japan can exercise collective self-defense under certain conditions. China lodged strong objections to Takaichi’s remarks. The prime minister has not retracted her statement, saying it reflects the government’s longstanding position, but she has indicated she will refrain from making similar comments going forward.
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