Beijing: China has escalated its simmering diplomatic conflict with Japan by suspending the scheduled release of multiple Japanese films in the mainland, heightening political tensions between the two nations. The move comes amid a worsening standoff over controversial remarks by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan and growing Chinese backlash.
According to state media reports, at least two Japanese titles including the animated Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! Scorching Kasukabe Dancers and the manga-based Cells at Work! have had their Chinese release cancelled or delayed. Importers and distributors cited the decision as “prudent,” attributing it to a sharply deteriorating diplomatic atmosphere and a cooling of cultural sentiment within China.
The cultural clampdown is part of a broader escalation. Japanese authorities have dispatched a senior official to Beijing for emergency talks, seeking to defuse tensions that erupted after Takaichi warned that a Chinese attack on Taiwan might threaten Japan’s survival language that rattled Beijing.
In response, China has issued a travel advisory urging its citizens not to visit Japan. The warning is being closely watched, particularly because Chinese tourists constitute a substantial portion of Japan’s tourism industry. State-linked media have also threatened further economic retaliation, raising the spectre of sanctions and trade restrictions if Japan does not back down.
The diplomatic fallout is not just symbolic it carries real economic stakes. Japanese tourism-related companies have already felt the pinch, with travel stocks sliding sharply. At the same time, experts point to deeper strategic concerns: Japan’s dependence on China for critical minerals and supply chain inputs could expose it to coercive reprisals.
Observers warn that the rupture could mark one of the most serious diplomatic flashpoints between Beijing and Tokyo in years. The economic and cultural fallout may stretch far beyond the box office and into the very core of regional stability.