China has urged its citizens in Japan to remain vigilant and claimed that Chinese nationals have been targeted in several regions of the country, Chinese state-run media reported.
A notice issued on Saturday by the Chinese Embassy in Japan said that public security conditions in some regions of Japan have recently deteriorated, citing violent incidents in some prefectures including Fukuoka, Shizuoka and Aichi, the Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
The embassy said many Chinese travellers reported being verbally abused or physically assaulted without provocation, resulting in injuries.
It also specifically referenced a vehicle-ramming incident on December 31 in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, in which two Chinese citizens were seriously injured and required emergency hospital treatment.
The embassy again advised Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Japan in the near term.
There was no immediate response from Japanese authorities regarding the Chinese embassy’s latest statements.
Tensions between China and Japan have escalated since November 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could legally constitute a “survival-threatening situation,” potentially allowing Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defence.
Her remarks triggered a massive backlash from Beijing, with China advising against travel to Japan and reimposing a ban on imports of seafood, among other restrictive measures.
