Chinese Airlines Begin Refunding Japan Flights After Beijing Warns Citizens Against Travel

Last Updated:November 15, 2025, 16:18 IST

Chinese airlines offer refunds for Japan flights after Beijing warns citizens amid rising tensions over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Taiwan remarks.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the Japan-China summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju. (IMAGE: AFP)

Chinese airlines began issuing refunds for flights to Japan after Beijing urged its citizens to avoid travel, citing a sharply deteriorating atmosphere in bilateral relations. The advisory, issued by China’s Foreign Ministry, followed a deepening diplomatic dispute triggered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks about Japan potentially responding to a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

In its warning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that “the atmosphere surrounding people-to-people exchanges has severely deteriorated, posing serious risks to the safety of Chinese citizens."

Travel platforms and airlines such as China Eastern and Air China subsequently announced that they would allow passengers to cancel Japan-bound flights without penalty.

What’s Behind Japan-China Rift?

Tensions surged after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested during a parliamentary session that a Chinese military move on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation" for Japan, potentially prompting Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Beijing- which claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory- reacted furiously.

In response, China summoned Japanese Ambassador Kenji Kanasugi to demand Takaichi retract her comments. China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, in a meeting with Kanasugi, said, “Anyone who dares to interfere in China’s reunification cause in any form will surely be dealt a heavy blow." He added that “the 1.4 billion Chinese people will never tolerate this."

China’s Defense Ministry echoed the warnings, saying that if Japan were to use force to intervene in the Taiwan Strait, the People’s Liberation Army would deliver “a crushing defeat."

Japan Pushes Back

Japan lodged its own protest over a Chinese diplomat’s online post linked to the escalating dispute. Tokyo insists that its position on Taiwan remains unchanged and that the prime minister’s remarks were made within the framework of a hypothetical worst-case scenario.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said, “Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks do not change the past government’s stance on this issue. The peace and stability of Taiwan is extremely important for Japan’s security and for regional stability."

Minoru Kihara added that Japan expected “issues surrounding Taiwan to be resolved through peaceful dialogue," even as Tokyo acknowledged China’s long-standing sensitivities on the matter.

Sanae Takaichi, meanwhile, has denied any intention to retract her comments, saying they were made in line with Japan’s strategic assessments.

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