Tokyo: Japan has sent a high-ranking foreign ministry official to Beijing in a bid to ease a rapidly intensifying diplomatic confrontation with China, following furious Chinese reactions to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments on Taiwan. The quiet but strategic move, reported by Japanese media, underscores Tokyo’s concern that the dispute could spiral into deeper political and economic fallout if left unaddressed.
According to reports, Masaaki Kanai, head of the Asia and Oceania Bureau at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been tasked with delivering Tokyo’s message directly to senior Chinese diplomats. His mission comes after Beijing summoned Japan’s ambassador to protest Takaichi’s assertion that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could pose an existential threat to Japan remarks that China labelled provocative and destabilizing. The statement triggered a wave of criticism from Chinese state media and heightened diplomatic alarms in Beijing.
China’s response extended far beyond protest notes. It issued a travel advisory urging Chinese citizens to avoid visiting Japan, a move that observers warn could deal a heavy blow to Japan’s tourism-dependent sectors. The advisory echoed a similar dispute in 2012, when tensions over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands led to a sharp decline in Chinese visitors and a noticeable dent in Japan’s economy. Japanese analysts now fear a repeat of that downturn, especially as consumer confidence in the region remains fragile.
Tensions escalated further when Japan summoned China’s ambassador in Tokyo to register its outrage over inflammatory remarks made by the Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian. In an online post that was later deleted, Xue used aggressive language suggesting violent retaliation, drawing sharp condemnation from Japanese officials and raising questions over diplomatic conduct. The exchange deepened the rift and added urgency to Kanai’s mission to Beijing.
Kanai is expected to meet Liu Jinsong, director of Asian affairs at China’s foreign ministry. His objective, according to Japanese reports, is to make clear that Japan’s overarching security policy has not changed despite Takaichi’s assertive rhetoric. Tokyo hopes that reaffirming its long-standing stance will prevent Beijing from assuming a more confrontational posture. The envoy is also anticipated to urge China to temper its responses and preserve practical cooperation between the two Asian powers.
The unfolding crisis reflects broader tension in the region as Taiwan remains a flashpoint in East Asian geopolitics. Japan’s proximity to Taiwan with its southern islands just over 100 kilometers away makes any potential conflict across the Taiwan Strait a direct security issue for Tokyo. China, however, insists that Japan must refrain from inserting itself into what it considers an internal matter, frequently invoking historical grievances to warn Japan against “military adventurism.”
In this sensitive climate, the dispatch of Kanai signals Tokyo’s attempt to break the cycle of escalating rhetoric. Both nations face high stakes: Japan risks economic backlash and diplomatic isolation if the situation worsens, while China risks alienating a key economic partner and further destabilizing regional relations. The coming days will reveal whether the envoy’s mission can cool tensions or whether the rift will widen across political, economic, and strategic fronts.
As Asia watches closely, the Japan China diplomatic landscape stands at a critical crossroads and Kanai’s meetings in Beijing may determine whether the region steps back from confrontation or drifts deeper into uncertainty.