Madrid, November 15 (European Press) –
China’s government on Saturday issued a warning to its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan for “security” reasons, after an alleged increase in attacks against Chinese on Japanese territory and after controversial statements made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi about Taiwan, further straining bilateral relations.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan officially warn Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future,” said a brief statement published by the ministry’s Consular Affairs Department and reported by the Global Times.
The State Department made its recommendation, primarily, in response to security incidents that occurred over the past year against Chinese citizens, which led to the “deterioration of public security” in the country.
The Chinese government expressed regret that “some issues remain unresolved, and the security of Chinese citizens in Japan continues to deteriorate,” also citing the “openly provocative statements” recently made by “Japanese leaders” regarding Taiwan as another compelling argument for this warning.
The letter continues that such statements “severely harm the atmosphere of exchanges between the peoples of China and Japan and pose great risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan,” to whom Chinese authorities have suggested “take strict precautions and strengthen their self-protection.”
This warning comes after the Chinese authorities on Thursday already demanded that Takaichi retract what he considers some “scandalous” words uttered by the Japanese authorities regarding Taiwan, a region that Beijing considers another province under its sovereignty.
The Japanese Prime Minister’s recent statements further increase tensions between the two parties, especially after Takaishi herself stated a week ago that China’s attack on Taiwan could lead to a military response from Tokyo, a statement that was strongly condemned by the Chinese government.
Thus, on Friday, Beijing hinted to Japan that it would suffer a “smashing defeat” if it decided to intervene in disputes over Taiwan, expressing its regret that Takaishi’s “erroneous” statements on Taiwan “represent a serious interference in China’s internal affairs and a violation of the “one-China” principle.”
Relations between China and Taiwan were severed in 1949, after the forces of the Nationalist Kuomintang Party were defeated in the civil war against the Communist Party and moved to the archipelago. Relations were only re-established at a commercial and informal level in the 1980s.
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