Japan Warns Citizens in China Amid Taiwan Dispute

BEIJING/TOKYO-Japan has warned its citizens in China to step up safety precautions and avoid crowded places, amid a deepening dispute between Asia’s two largest economies over Japanese Prime minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan.

Takaichi sparked the most serious diplomatic clash in years when she told Japanese lawmakers this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival could trigger a military response.

A senior Japanese official met his counterpart in Beijing on Tuesday to try and tamp down the tension, but no breakthrough appeared imminent.

China’s foreign ministry said Liu Jinsong, head of the ministry’s Asia affairs department, had pressed at the meeting for Takaichi to retract her remarks. But Japan’s top government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, suggested Tokyo was in no mood to do so.

The comments did “not alter the government’s existing position,” Kihara told a press conference on Tuesday, adding that the government hoped issues concerning Taiwan would be resolved peacefully through dialog.

A video posted on social media by China’s Communist party-run newspaper Guangming Daily showed Liu telling reporters that he was “of course dissatisfied” with the meeting, and described the atmosphere as “solemn.”

CHINESE STATE MEDIA TARGET TAKAICHI

Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s claims.

A Chinese diplomat in Japan responded to Takaichi’s remarks by posting a threatening comment aimed at her on social media. That drew a strong rebuke from Tokyo, though it failed to stem vitriolic commentary against her in Chinese state media.

Takaichi was summoning Japan’s “militarist demons,” the official news agency Xinhua said in the latest such attack on Tuesday.

In view of the media coverage in China, Japan’s embassy there reminded citizens on Monday to respect local customs and take care in interactions with Chinese people.

It asked citizens to be aware of thier surroundings when outdoors, telling them to not travel alone and urging extra caution when accompanying children.

“If you see a person or group that looks even slightly suspicious, do not approach them and leave the area instantly,” the embassy said in its notice.

CHINA URGES AGAINST TRAVEL TO JAPAN

The dispute could deal a blow to Japan’s economy, as Beijing has urged its citizens not to travel there.

Chinese form the largest number of all tourists to Japan,accounting for nearly a quarter,official figures show. Tourism-related stocks in Japan plunged on the news.