"Don't Travel to Japan"—China Cancels 2,195 Flights to Japan in January Alone

[Financial News] Relations between China and Japan have chilled following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan. Chinese media reported that over 2,000 flights between China and Japan scheduled for January next year have been canceled.
On the 22nd, The Paper cited data from the flight data platform Flight Manager (航班管家), reporting that 2,195 China-Japan flights scheduled for January were canceled, with the cancellation rate reaching 40.4%.
Notably, all 46 routes between China and Japan planned for the two weeks from the 23rd to January 5th have been completely canceled. In terms of airports, flights have been suspended between 26 Chinese cities and 18 airports in Japan.
Earlier, on the 7th of last month, Prime Minister Takaichi stated at the House of Representatives Budget Committee that a 'Taiwan contingency' could be considered a 'situation threatening Japan's survival,' allowing for the exercise of collective self-defense. This statement sparked tensions between China and Japan.
China viewed Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks as interference in the Taiwan issue, which it considers a 'core of core interests.' As part of its economic retaliation, China advised its tourists and students to refrain from visiting Japan starting on the 14th of the same month.
Following the travel advisory, Chinese airlines have successively reduced or suspended flights to Japan. Airlines are also waiving cancellation and change fees for Japan-bound tickets through March next year. As a result, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan in November dropped to 562,600, marking the lowest monthly figure this year.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter