China urges citizens to avoid Japan after Tokyo–Beijing row over Taiwan comments

China has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan, escalating a diplomatic standoff triggered by comments from Japan’s new prime minister about a potential attack on Taiwan. The row began after comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on November 7, widely interpreted as suggesting that a strike on Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by China and located roughly 100 kilometres from Japan’s nearest island, could prompt a military response by Tokyo.