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Exclusive | Beijing freezes Japan youth exchange programmes over Takaichi Taiwan row
All youth programmes have been called off, diplomatic source says, as ties between the two countries fray
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Beijing has frozen youth exchange programmes with Tokyo amid the fallout over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, according to a diplomatic source, raising concern that the bilateral rift could affect younger generations.
The Japanese side was told about the cancelled programmes after China launched retaliatory measures against Japan over Takaichi’s comments earlier this month, the source said.
“Usually, November and December are the season for youth exchanges, but now they have all been 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 that Tokyo could deploy military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Takaichi has refused to do so.
As part of that pressure, China has asked its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan and told Chinese students to reconsider their plans to study there, citing safety reasons. The island nation is popular among Chinese students and has been one of the top destinations for Chinese tourists.
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