HONG KONG – Japan has been feeling the pain of economic retaliation from China as its diplomatic dispute over Taiwan worsens, with travel agencies canceling group tours and raising fears about an outright ban on Japanese seafood and movies.
China hinted it might halt imports of seafood from Japan on Wednesday after warning its citizens to avoid traveling there and postponing the Chinese release of at least two Japanese films.
Asia’s two largest economies have been locked in a war of words that began when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers on Nov. 7 that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could force a military response from Tokyo. It was the first time a sitting prime minister of Japan, a U.S. ally that has a mutual defense pact with Washington, made such a comment.
China, which claims self-rule over Taiwan as a breakaway province that can be taken by force if necessary, has repeatedly demanded that Takaichi retract her “egregious” comments, saying it will take “severe” countermeasures if she refuses.
Although not specified, Beijing’s threats have fueled concerns about Japan’s already fragile economy, which is heavily dependent on China, especially as Tokyo grapples with the effects of US tariffs.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry suggested that China could reimpose its ban on Japanese seafood imports because Japan has “so far failed to provide” documents demonstrating the quality and safety of its seafood products.
China resumed importing seafood from all but 10 Japanese prefectures earlier this month after suspending imports two years ago over the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.
Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan have sparked “strong public outrage in China,” ministry spokesman Mao Ning said. “Under the current circumstances, even if Japanese aquatic products were exported to China, they would have no market.”
The latest sign of economic retaliation from China came days after authorities advised Chinese citizens not to travel to Japan, saying Takaichi’s “blatantly provocative” comments about Taiwan posed a “significant risk” to the security of Chinese people in the country.
Japan, which says it continues to prefer a peaceful solution to the Taiwan issue, has also advised its citizens to take additional safety precautions while in China.
“The government will continue to closely monitor the situation, including the impact of the series of measures taken by China, and will take appropriate measures,” Minoru Kihara, the Japanese government’s top spokesman, told reporters on Tuesday.
Following government guidance, several major Chinese airlines have begun offering free refunds or itinerary changes for eligible airline tickets to and from Japan.
While the number of canceled flights was not immediately clear, some travel companies reported disruptions and losses amid tensions between China and Japan.
East Japan International Travel Agency, a Tokyo-based tour operator that offers personalized services to Chinese tourists, said that around 70% of its group tours had been cancelled, marking a “significant increase”, and that new inquiries had also dropped by around 90%.
“Normally, the period between late December and the Lunar New Year is the peak season for corporate incentive travel,” Yu Jixin, vice president of the agency, told NBC News in an emailed statement. “But this year, almost none of these groups are expected to visit Japan.”
Beijing Huatu International Travel Agency said it had suspended bookings for Japan-related travel until receiving further orders from Chinese authorities.
“We are all Chinese in the flesh,” he said Monday in a statement on RedNote, the Chinese Instagram-like platform. “We will never waver when it comes to the fundamentals of good and evil.”
At least two Japanese films, “Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers” and “Cells at Work!”, will see their releases postponed in mainland China, state media China Film News said Monday.
Chinese film importers and distributors said they made the “cautious” adjustment in response to viewers’ “intense and widespread dissatisfaction” with Takaichi’s comments.
The delays were announced as Japanese anime sensation “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” has grossed more than $60 million since its release in China on Friday, accounting for 50% of the country’s daily box office through Wednesday, according to data from Chinese box office tracker Beacon.
China’s pause in movie releases, while a “fairly normal practice,” sends a “clear signal” to Japan, said Hong Zeng, a professor of cultural studies at Hong Kong Baptist University.
“This is not an isolated gesture within the film sector,” Zeng said, noting that it would be “surprising” if all of these actions taken by Beijing, including its travel warning, “were simply coincidences.”
