Diplomatic tensions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments on Taiwan spilled into the travel sphere on 17-18 November, producing the most severe mobility disruption between China and Japan since the pandemic.
Japan’s embassy in Beijing issued a security alert urging its nationals in China to avoid crowds and ‘suspicious individuals’, while the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism advised citizens to defer travel to Japan. Within hours, China’s six largest airlines—Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Hainan, Sichuan and Xiamen—announced no-penalty refunds and rebooking for all Japan-bound tickets through 31 December. Online-travel agency data indicate that roughly 500,000 Chinese airline reservations made between 15 and 17 November have already been cancelled.
![Beijing–Tokyo Rift Triggers Two-Way Travel Warnings and Mass Flight Cancellations]()
The chill extends beyond air transport. Chinese distributors suspended releases of several Japanese films, and Japanese retailers catering to inbound tourists reported a double-digit drop in footfall. The abrupt fall-off in Chinese visitors—historically almost one-quarter of Japan’s inbound market—poses a major revenue shock just as the peak New-Year travel season approaches.
For mobility and assignment managers, the episode highlights geopolitical risk to regional employee travel and underscores the importance of contingency planning. Firms with staff rotations between the two economies should monitor airline schedule changes, revise duty-of-care protocols and consider routing through third-country hubs if direct capacity tightens further.
Diplomats from both sides met in Beijing on 18 November but failed to secure a breakthrough, leaving the advisories in place. Analysts warn that prolonged tit-for-tat measures could delay the anticipated recovery of Sino-Japanese business travel well into 2026.
Japan’s embassy in Beijing issued a security alert urging its nationals in China to avoid crowds and ‘suspicious individuals’, while the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism advised citizens to defer travel to Japan. Within hours, China’s six largest airlines—Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Hainan, Sichuan and Xiamen—announced no-penalty refunds and rebooking for all Japan-bound tickets through 31 December. Online-travel agency data indicate that roughly 500,000 Chinese airline reservations made between 15 and 17 November have already been cancelled.
The chill extends beyond air transport. Chinese distributors suspended releases of several Japanese films, and Japanese retailers catering to inbound tourists reported a double-digit drop in footfall. The abrupt fall-off in Chinese visitors—historically almost one-quarter of Japan’s inbound market—poses a major revenue shock just as the peak New-Year travel season approaches.
For mobility and assignment managers, the episode highlights geopolitical risk to regional employee travel and underscores the importance of contingency planning. Firms with staff rotations between the two economies should monitor airline schedule changes, revise duty-of-care protocols and consider routing through third-country hubs if direct capacity tightens further.
Diplomats from both sides met in Beijing on 18 November but failed to secure a breakthrough, leaving the advisories in place. Analysts warn that prolonged tit-for-tat measures could delay the anticipated recovery of Sino-Japanese business travel well into 2026.
