A Chinese article claimed that Beijing’s restrictions on travel to Japan are having the intended effect. {Editor’s Note: The article attributed the suspension of numerous air routes primarily to a decline in Chinese tourists traveling to Japan. However, there have been reports that the Chinese government instructed travel agencies to stop group tours to Japan and airlines to cancel flights. The following is the briefing of the article.}
China-Japan air travel, traditionally extremely busy during the August summer travel season, has experienced a sharp contraction in 2026. In August, 1,120 flights were reportedly canceled and 18 routes suspended, with the cancellation rate exceeding 30 percent. The decline follows an even sharper contraction in June, when 25 routes were suspended and 1,488 flights canceled, resulting in a cancellation rate of 37.5 percent. Major destinations such as Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Osaka have seen repeated route suspensions. The overall China-Japan air market remains well below its pre-pandemic level.
Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi acknowledged the deterioration in bilateral relations during an August 25 live broadcast on TV Asahi. He said he had initially hoped the APEC meeting in Shenzhen in November could help ease tensions but now had little expectation of improvement. Embassy officials have found it increasingly difficult to meet Chinese government officials and business leaders, while formal meetings have become difficult to arrange. Kanasugi also told Kyodo News in May that substantive dialogue with Chinese officials had effectively been absent for some time.
The deterioration is closely linked to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s increasingly assertive position on Taiwan. Her remarks linking a Taiwan contingency to Japan’s national survival, along with her emphasis on defense expansion and closer alignment with the United States, have further strained relations. Beijing has responded with measures including tighter controls on rare-earth exports, potentially affecting Japan’s automotive, electronics, and precision-machinery industries.
Source: NetEase, September 5, 2026
https://www.163.com/dy/article/L62TGFRM05567B6B.html