Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks throughout a information convention on the Prime Minister’s Workplace in Tokyo, Dec/ 17. EPA-Yonhap
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned on Wednesday she is “all the time open” to dialogue with China regardless of a diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing over feedback she made about Taiwan.
“China is a vital neighbor for Japan, and we have to construct constructive and secure relationships,” Takaichi mentioned throughout a information convention.
“Japan is all the time open to dialogue with China. We’re not shutting our door.”
China and Japan are enmeshed in a spat over Takaichi’s suggestion in November that Tokyo may intervene militarily in any assault on Taiwan.
Beijing claims the self-ruled democratic island as a part of its territory and has threatened to make use of power to convey it below its management.
The feedback triggered a pointy diplomatic backlash from China, which has urged its residents to keep away from travelling to Japan.
Official knowledge launched on Wednesday confirmed the warning has had an influence on customer numbers.
Arrivals from mainland China to Japan final month edged up simply three % from a yr earlier, the weakest development since January 2022, in line with the Japan Nationwide Tourism Group (JNTO).
Round 560,000 vacationers from China visited Japan final month, representing a 3 % year-on-year improve, the JNTO mentioned, citing the journey warning as an element within the modest hike.
The year-on-year development of Chinese language guests to Japan had steadily hovered within the double digits for months — 22.8 % in October, 18.9 % in September and 36.5 % in August.
Huge spenders
Regardless of the cancellation of many group excursions from China, “the decline of Chinese language visitors is offset by guests from different nations,” Takayuki Kitanaka, spokesman for the Osaka Conference and Tourism Bureau, instructed AFP.
“Many companies are making efforts in order that they’d be able to welcome again Chinese language guests as soon as issues relax,” he mentioned.
China is the largest supply of vacationers to the Japanese archipelago, with virtually 7.5 million guests within the first 9 months of 2025 — 1 / 4 of all overseas vacationers, in line with official figures.
Attracted by a weak yen, they splashed out the equal of $3.7 billion within the third quarter.
Every Chinese language vacationer spent on common 22 % greater than different guests final yr, in line with the JNTO.
A current survey by main analysis agency Teikoku Databank discovered that whereas 43 % of corporations noticed the pattern as dangerous for the Japanese economic system, 41 % didn’t count on any influence.
“These outcomes counsel that many corporations are taking the present journey restrictions comparatively calmly,” Teikoku Databank mentioned.
Within the newest escalation of the row this month, Chinese language army plane locked radar onto Japanese jets, prompting Tokyo to summon Beijing’s ambassador.
