After China issued a travel warning to Japan, Japan asked Beijing for an explanation, questioning why the relationship remains unchanged.

Although China's wording was relatively restrained and did not explicitly mention specific types of threats, considering the timing and context, this move quickly drew high attention from Japan.

On November 15, Koichi Kobayashi, head of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council, publicly responded in Akita Prefecture, saying: "We should remain calm." However, he immediately shifted his tone, clearly stating that he hoped China would explain the specific reasons for issuing the travel alert. Kobayashi emphasized that "the relationship between the two countries is extremely important" and reiterated that "Japan's attitude toward China has not changed" — this statement actually raised a question: if the bilateral relationship has not significantly deteriorated, why did the travel risk alert suddenly escalate?

Currently, major domestic travel agencies have started adjusting their itineraries. According to the latest data from Ctrip, within 24 hours after the announcement, the search volume for Japanese destinations by Chinese users dropped by 34%, and the cancellation rate for group tours departing between late November and December rose to 18%. It is worth noting that the tourism consumption contributed by China to Japan exceeds 1.7 trillion yen.

According to data from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of high-level visits between China and Japan in 2024 increased by approximately 17% compared to 2023, including resumed dialogue between defense departments. In September this year, China and Japan also jointly participated in the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting and expressed similar positions on regional stability. Economically, according to statistics from the Japanese Ministry of Finance, in the first three quarters of 2024, China remained Japan's third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $286 billion, a slight decrease of 2.3% compared to the same period last year.

But now, Asahi Takahashi is beginning to mess everything up, extinguishing the fragile flame of restored relations.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848835954544650/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.