Taiwanese urged to help boost Japan's tourism, exports amid row with China

Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Thursday called on Taiwanese to increase travel to Japan and buy more of its products in support of the neighboring country, which has been facing a wave of reprisals from China since it expressed support for Taiwan.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has repeatedly deployed "economic and military coercion to bully other countries," Lin said during a legislative session, referencing China's retaliation against Japan since the latter's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said recently that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would count as "a situation threatening Japan's survival," and thus could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

In response, China said that the "blatantly provocative remarks on Taiwan" have "further damaged the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges ... creating additional risks to the safety and security of Chinese citizens in Japan."

Since then, China has imposed a slew of measures aimed at hurting Japan's economy, including advisories against travel and study in Japan.

On Thursday, Lin said Taiwan has been a victim of such coercion, as Beijing frequently weaponizes trade, investment, and tourism to threaten Taipei.

"That is uncivilized and undemocratic behavior," he said. "Taiwan will support Japan at this critical time to effectively stabilize the situation and stop the CCP's bullying."

When asked how exactly Taiwan can help Japan at this time, Lin said he is encouraging Taiwanese to step up travel to Japan and to buy more Japanese products "to display the friendly relationship between Taiwan and Japan."

On Wednesday, an NHK report cited Japanese government sources as saying that China has taken steps to suspend imports of marine products from Japan and has already informed Tokyo.

China said that the decision was taken because it needed to assess the monitoring of treated and diluted water from Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, according to the NHK report.

However, the Japanese government sources believe that the decision is part of China's response to Takaichi's remarks about Taiwan, which she made on Nov. 7 in her first parliamentary address since taking office in October, according to the NHK report.