Japan has warned its citizens in China to be careful of their surroundings and to avoid big crowds, as a diplomatic row spirals over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan.
The escalating spat has already seen Beijing advise Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan and hit Tokyo stocks.
The screenings of at least two Japanese movies are also to be postponed in China, state media reported.
Photo: AFP
“Pay attention to your surroundings and avoid as much as possible squares where large crowds gather, or places that are likely to be identified as being used by many Japanese people,” the Japanese embassy in China said in a statement on its Web site dated Monday.
Beijing yesterday vowed to “protect the safety” of foreigners in China, but said it had again lodged a “strong protest” with Tokyo over Takaichi’s comments.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the embassy’s advice was issued “based on a comprehensive assessment of the political situation, including the security situation in the relevant country or region, as well as the social conditions.”
The diplomatic feud between China and Japan was ignited by Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.
Seeking to defuse the row, Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, yesterday held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Liu Jinsong (劉勁松).
“During the consultations, China once again lodged a strong protest with Japan” over “Takaichi’s erroneous remarks,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning (毛寧) said.
“Takaichi’s fallacies seriously violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations,” Mao said
Takaichi’s comments “fundamentally damage the political foundation of China-Japan relations,” Mao added.
The Japanese embassy warning also advised citizens to “be careful about your words and attitudes when interacting with local people.”
It came as China Film News, which is supervised by the state-backed China Film Administration, announced that the release of imported Japanese movies Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers and Cells at Work! would be postponed.
The two movies were originally expected to be released on Dec. 6 and on Saturday respectively, review site Douban said.
“Japan’s provocative comments will inevitably affect Chinese audiences’ perception of Japanese movies,” China Film News said in an article posted on WeChat on Monday.
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