Overview
- Senior officials Masaaki Kanai and Liu Jinsong met in Beijing, where China pressed Japan to retract Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks and reiterated a strong protest.
- Japan’s embassy in Beijing urged its citizens to avoid crowds, stay alert, and leave areas immediately if they encounter suspicious behavior.
- China’s travel warning prompted roughly 491,000 Japan-bound ticket cancellations in days, with major Chinese airlines offering full refunds through year-end on many routes.
- Beijing said it will protect the safety of foreign nationals in China, as cultural fallout grew with delays to Japanese film releases and fresh patrols by China’s coast guard near disputed islets.
- Economists warned Japan’s growth could weaken, with a Nomura estimate pointing to a potential 1.79 trillion yen hit to GDP if Chinese travel declines persist.