Escalating the dispute with Taiwan, China warns its citizens against traveling to Japan.

The backlash against the prime minister's remarks about Taiwan intensified when China warned its citizens against traveling to Japan. This ruling represents Beijing's strongest response to date to Sanae Takaichi's statements. While likely more symbolic than anything else, the move indicates that Beijing is prepared to exert pressure on geopolitical issues through its economic power, a strategy it has already employed extensively. According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued on Friday, the "recent provocative statements about Taiwan" have further deteriorated conditions for people-to-people exchanges and created new dangers to the safety of Chinese citizens in Japan.