Beijing has frozen youth exchange programmes with Tokyo amid continuing fallout over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, a diplomatic source said, raising concern that the bilateral rift could affect generations to come.
The Japanese side was told about the cancelled programmes in recent weeks after China launched retaliatory measures against Japan over Takaichi’s comments earlier this month, according to the diplomatic source.
“Usually, November and December are the season for youth exchanges, but now all are called off,” the source said.
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Beijing has ramped up diplomatic and economic pressure on Japan, seeking to force Takaichi to retract her November 7 remarks suggesting Tokyo could deploy military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Takaichi has refused to retract them.
Citing safety reasons, China has asked its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan and told Chinese students to reconsider their plans to study there. The island nation is popular among Chinese students and has been one of the top destinations for Chinese tourists.
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