‘Beijing is our importance…’, Japan’s big U-turn amid Taiwan dispute, PM Takaichi’s statement created a stir

Japanese Tourists in China: The effect of the diplomatic tension that arose between China and Japan after the statement regarding Taiwan is now visible on the ground. The slowdown in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan has made the picture of deteriorating relations between the two countries even clearer.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday that Japan is always ready for talks with China despite his comments on Taiwan. He said in a press conference that China is an important neighbor for Japan. We need constructive and stable relationships. Japan has not closed the doors of negotiations.

Strong diplomatic response from China

However, his statement in Parliament on 7 November gave rise to controversy. In response to a question from an opposition MP, Takaichi had said that Tokyo could intervene militarily if the self-ruled democratic island of Taiwan is attacked. Beijing took this statement as a direct provocation.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has been threatening to use force to bring it under its control. Takaichi’s statement was followed by a strong diplomatic reaction from China. Beijing has issued an advisory to its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, the effect of which is now visible in tourism figures.

Big impact on tourism

According to The Japan Times report, the latest figures released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) show that the number of tourists coming to Japan from China last month increased by only 3 percent year-on-year. This is the lowest increase since January 2022.

According to JNTO, about 5.6 lakh Chinese tourists reached Japan in November. The organization clearly said that this slight increase is the result of the travel warning issued by China. Before this, the number of Chinese tourists was seeing double digit growth for several months. This increase was 22.8 percent in October, 18.9 percent in September and 36.5 percent in August.

Big benefit to Japanese economy

According to official figures, China is the largest source of foreign tourists for Japan. About 7.5 million Chinese tourists are expected to visit Japan in the first nine months of 2025, accounting for about a quarter of total foreign tourists. Due to the weak yen, Chinese tourists spent the equivalent of about $3.7 billion in the third quarter.

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JNTO also said that last year, on average, each Chinese tourist spent 22 percent more than tourists from other countries, which gave a big benefit to the Japanese economy.

Strong protest by summoning the ambassador

Meanwhile, tensions escalated this month when Chinese military aircraft locked radar on Japanese jets. After this incident, Tokyo summoned Beijing’s ambassador and lodged a strong protest. Experts believe that if this tension continues for a long time, its impact will not be limited to diplomacy only, but will also have a deep impact on trade, tourism and regional security.