BEIJING, Nov 19 (News On Japan) - Tensions between Japan and China showed no sign of easing on November 18th after bureau-level talks in Beijing, where the Chinese side again demanded that Prime Minister Takaichi retract a parliamentary remark regarding a Taiwan contingency, prompting a firm rebuttal from the Japanese delegation.
The two senior officials appeared together before reporters, with China’s Foreign Ministry Asian Affairs Director General Liu Jinsong speaking with his hands in his pockets, standing alongside Japan’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director General Kanai Masaaki.
During the meeting held on November 18th, Kanai countered China’s call for its citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan by stressing that public safety in Japan has not deteriorated, urging Beijing to take appropriate steps and also requesting cooperation to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals living in China.
According to government officials, Liu pressed Japan to retract Takaichi’s parliamentary response on a Taiwan emergency, but Kanai rejected the demand and explained Japan’s long-standing and consistent position.
After the talks, Liu told reporters that he was dissatisfied with the meeting, describing the atmosphere as severe.
The deterioration in bilateral ties is beginning to affect people-to-people exchange as well. Yoshimoto Kogyo announced it would cancel a performance scheduled to begin on November 20th in Shanghai, citing unavoidable circumstances.
Amid these developments, the number of foreign visitors to Japan last month reached a record high for October at around 3.9 million. China ranked as the second-largest source after South Korea with approximately 710,000 visitors, up about 23 percent from a year earlier. However, a wave of cancellations in group tours over the past several days indicates that the impact is spreading.
Economic Security Minister Onoda Kimi said that overreliance on a country that immediately resorts to economic pressure whenever discontent arises represents a risk not only for supply chains but also for tourism.
At a preparatory school in Tokyo that supports Chinese students hoping to study in Japan, families are expressing growing concern.
A 17-year-old student hoping to study in Japan said their parents in China call daily, asking, “How is Japan? It’s dangerous now, right? Are you sure you’re safe?” The student said they repeatedly respond, “I’m fine.”
Cancellations of study-abroad plans are also mounting.
According to Li Xu, president of Keisei Education Group, messages canceling applications are arriving every day. He said the school receives four to five cancellations per day.
For now, there is no sign of a resolution.
Source: TBS
