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Half million trips to Japan thought to be canceled after China issues travel warning
November 20th 2025
Around 500,000 air tickets to Japan are thought to have been cancelled by Chinese passengers, after the government in Beijing warned its citizens not to visit the country, an aviation analyst told AFP. Read More » The warning is an aftermath of a political spat started when Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi suggested her country could intervene militarily if Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, were to be attacked. The topic, viewed as sensitive, was not explicitly mentioned by Takaichi’s predecessors. China viewed the statement as provocative and advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future amid rising security risks. China’s three biggest state-owned airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines (CEA), and China Southern Airlines (CSA), said they will offer refund and rescheduling options free of charge to passengers who have booked flights to Japan by the end of this year. On November 19, Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways will allow travellers who have booked tickets to Japan to "modify" their flights. Reuters reports that already more than 10 Chinese airlines have offered refunds on Japan-bound routes until December 31. Independent analyst Li Hanming told AFP that Shanghai-Tokyo and Shanghai-Osaka area flights were most affected by the cancellations. Chinese carriers were affected more than Japanese airlines, as they dominate the market. Japan was a popular destination for Chinese travelers over the Golden Week last month, Yicai reports. According to flight information website Umetrip.com, Osaka ranked first and Tokyo third among the top 10 most popular outbound destinations over the break. Due to the impact of tourism safety issues in Thailand, demand for Southeast Asia was diverted this year, so flights to Japan, South Korea, and even Europe are all doing well," a person from an airline’s marketing department told Yicai. However, carriers may reduce the number of flights to Japan after the government travel notice and the free refund and rescheduling options offered by the big three state airlines, the person added.
