Overview
- At Nov. 18 bureau‑level talks in Beijing, Japan’s Asia‑Oceania chief Masaki Kanai and China’s Asia director Liu Jinsong ended without progress as Japan declined to retract Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Diet answers.
- Japan argued the remarks did not alter its established policy, while China reiterated its demand for a formal retraction.
- Chinese media reported roughly 500,000 cancellations of Japan‑bound flights after calls for citizens to exercise self‑restraint on travel, a figure cited as an impact but not officially confirmed.
- Tokyo lodged a protest after post‑meeting images of the two officials were shown to reporters without prior coordination, adding a procedural grievance to substantive tensions.
- People‑to‑people exchanges have already been hit, including the postponement of a Nov. 22 expert forum, as Japan’s embassy urged nationals in China to prioritize safety and ruling‑party voices warned of a prolonged dispute affecting broader ties.