China Cuts Group Tours to Japan

China has instructed domestic travel agencies to reduce group tours to Japan as tensions between the two countries continue to rise following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan, The Japan Times reported.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have deteriorated since Takaichi raised the possibility of a Taiwan-related emergency in parliament.

One travel agency has been told to reduce tour frequency to about 60% of previous levels, while another has been ordered to halt sales entirely.

The move is widely seen as an effort to pressure Chinese citizens to comply with Beijing’s call to avoid travel to Japan. Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have deteriorated since Takaichi raised the possibility of a Taiwan-related emergency in parliament.

Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a notice on Nov. 14 advising citizens to refrain from visiting Japan, and instructions to travel agencies followed shortly afterward.

One major state-owned travel agency was ordered to suspend all Japan-bound group tours.

Despite immediately halting sales, authorities later visited an outlet to verify compliance and warned of penalties for violations. Chinese media reported that 2,195 Japan-bound flights scheduled for next month—about 40.4% of the total—will be canceled.