Chinese foreign ministry, embassy urge citizens to avoid traveling to Japan

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy and consulates in Japan on Friday urged Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future, citing recent rising attacks on Chinese nationals in Japan.

The Chinese embassy in Japan said in a statement that Japan has experienced social unrest since early this year, with a surge in crimes and attacks targeting Chinese citizens. Many cases remain unsolved, and the safety of Chinese citizens in Japan continues to deteriorate.

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Chinese foreign ministry, embassy urge citizens to avoid traveling to Japan

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Chinese foreign ministry, embassy urge citizens to avoid traveling to Japan

Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made blatantly provocative remarks regarding Taiwan Question, severely damaging the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan, and posing significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan, said the statement.

In this regard, the Chinese foreign ministry, along with the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan, strongly advise Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future. Those currently in Japan should closely monitor local security conditions, heighten safety precautions, and strengthen self-protection. In emergencies, they should immediately report to the police and ask the Chinese embassy or consulates for assistance.

Six airlines, namely Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, issued notices on Saturday stating that tickets for travel dates before Dec 31, which involve routes to Japan and meeting relevant conditions, can be refunded or changed free of charge.

Russian forces carried out a "massive strike" on Ukraine's military-industrial complex, energy facilities and port infrastructure, the Russian defense ministry said Saturday.

The strike was in response to Ukraine's overnight attacks on Russia's civilian objects, said the ministry, adding that the strike involved long-range high-precision air- and ground-based weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier in the day that rescue efforts were underway in numerous regions following Russia's attacks.

Zelensky said Russia launched over 650 drones and 51 missiles targeting multiple regions, with injuries reported. He added that the main targets were energy facilities.