Overview
- Washington announced approval of a $330 million sale of equipment to Taiwan that includes fighter aircraft parts, the first such package under the current U.S. administration.
- China’s foreign ministry posted a notice on Nov. 14 urging citizens to refrain from visiting Japan, a move that could weigh on Japanese tourism given China is the largest source of foreign visitors.
- On Nov. 16, Chinese authorities also advised citizens to carefully consider studying in Japan, citing concerns about public safety and expanding their response to Tokyo.
- Japan has rejected Beijing’s demand to withdraw Takaichi’s remarks, with officials warning that potential retaliation could extend to economic measures such as rare‑earth export controls.
- Tokyo says the prime minister’s comments were hypothetical and not a policy shift, and it is seeking leader‑level talks to ease tensions though officials see significant hurdles.