HONG KONG — Japan has been feeling the sting of China’s economic retaliation as their diplomatic spat over Taiwan worsens, with travel agencies canceling group tours and fears over an outright ban on Japanese seafood and movies mounting.
China hinted that it might halt seafood imports from Japan on Wednesday after it warned its citizens to avoid traveling there and postponed the releases in China of at least two Japanese movies.
The two largest economies in Asia have been locked in a war of words that began when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers Nov. 7 that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could force a military response from Tokyo. It was the first time such a comment had been made by a sitting prime minister of Japan, a U.S. ally that has a mutual defense pact with Washington.
China, which claims self-ruling Taiwan as a breakaway province to be seized by force if necessary, has repeatedly demanded that Takaichi retract her “egregious” remarks, saying it will take “severe” countermeasures if she refuses.
Though unspecified, Beijing’s threats have fueled concerns for Japan’s already fragile economy, which is heavily dependent on China, especially as Tokyo grapples with the effects of U.S. tariffs.
On Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry suggested that China might reimpose its ban on imports of Japanese seafood because Japan has “so far failed” to provide documents proving the quality and safety of its aquatic products.
China resumed importing seafood from all but 10 Japanese prefectures this month after having suspended imports two years ago over the release of treated radioactive wastewater from Japan’s wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan have triggered “strong public outrage in China,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. “Under the current circumstances, even if Japanese aquatic products were exported to China, they would have no market.”
China’s newest sign of economic retaliation came days after authorities advised Chinese citizens not to travel to Japan, saying Takaichi’s “blatantly provocative” Taiwan remarks posed a “significant risk” to the safety 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 extra safety precautions in China.
“The government will continue to closely monitor the situation, including the impact of the series of measures by China, and take appropriate action,” Minoru Kihara, the Japanese government’s top spokesperson, told reporters Tuesday.
Following the government’s instructions, several major Chinese airlines have started offering free refunds or itinerary changes for eligible tickets for flights to and from Japan.
The number of canceled flights was not immediately clear. Some travel businesses have reported disruption and losses amid the China-Japan tensions.
East Japan International Travel Agency, a Tokyo-based tour operator offering tailored services to Chinese tourists, said tat about 70% of its group tours had been canceled, marking a “significant surge,” and that new inquiries had also decreased about 90%.
“Normally, the period from late December to the Lunar New Year is peak season for corporate incentive travel,” Yu Jixin, the agency’s vice president, said 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 tours until further orders from Chinese authorities.
“We are all Chinese people of flesh and blood,” it said Monday in a statement on RedNote, China’s Instagram-like platform. “We will never waver when it comes to the fundamentals of right and wrong.”
The releases of at least two Japanese movies — “Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers” and “Cells at Work!” — will be postponed in mainland China, state-backed media China Film News said Monday.
Chinese film importers and distributors said they made the “cautious” adjustment in response to viewers’ “widespread and intense dissatisfaction” with Takaichi’s remarks.
The delays were announced as the Japanese anime sensation “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” has raked in more than $60 million since its Chinese premiere Friday, accounting for 50% of the country’s daily box office through Wednesday, according to data from the Chinese box office tracker Beacon.
The pausing of film premieres by China, even though it is a “fairly normal practice,” sends a “clear signal” to Japan, said Hong Zeng, 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 the actions taken by Beijing, including its travel warning, “were merely coincidental.”
Madoka Fukuda, a professor of international politics and China studies at Hosei University in Tokyo, said it was not “realistic” for Takaichi to retract her remarks.
“At this point, China’s measures will affect specific industries but will not cause significant political damage to the Japanese government,” she said in emailed comments.
But tensions are likely to persist for the long term, Fukuda said.
“I believe Japan can only maintain a consistent stance of dialogue,” she said, “calling on China to engage while waiting for an opportunity for China to de-escalate its protests.”
