Japan ‘Always Open’ to Talks With China Despite Taiwan Row: PM Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi declared that Japan remains firmly “always open” to dialogue with China, even as bilateral relations deteriorate sharply over her November statement suggesting that Tokyo could intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked, a scenario Beijing regards as direct interference in its core sovereignty claims.

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo, Takaichi described China as an “important neighbour” and stressed that Japan has no intention of shutting the door on communication, underscoring the need to build “constructive and stable” ties despite the current diplomatic storm and mutual accusations.

The crisis erupted after Takaichi’s remarks were interpreted by Beijing as crossing a red line on the Taiwan issue, prompting China to issue a rare travel warning to its citizens and to intensify military pressure, including the recent radar-locking incidents involving Chinese warplanes targeting Japanese patrol aircraft over the East China Sea.

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The fallout has delivered a tangible economic blow: November arrivals from mainland China increased by a mere three percent year-on-year to approximately 560,000 visitors—the weakest growth since January 2022—contrasting sharply with double-digit surges of 36.5 percent in August, 18.9 percent in September, and 22.8 percent in October, according to Japan National Tourism Organisation data.

As Japan’s largest source of foreign tourists, Chinese visitors accounted for nearly 7.5 million arrivals in the first nine months of 2025—roughly a quarter of total inbound tourism—and spent an average of 22 percent more per person than other nationalities, injecting billions into the economy amid a historically weak yen, making Beijing’s travel advisory a potent leverage tool in the ongoing dispute.

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