China Orders Travel Agencies to Curb Group Tours to Japan

Beijing, Dec. 26 (Jiji Press)–The Chinese government is instructing travel agencies in the country to reduce the number of group tours to Japan, it was learned Friday. One agency has been told to lower the frequency of such tours to about 60 pct of previous levels, while another has been urged to cancel all sales. The move is believed to be aimed at making Chinese citizens comply with Beijing’s call to avoid visiting Japan, raising the pressure on the East Asian neighbor. Tensions have risen between Tokyo and Beijing since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made a parliamentary remark on a possible Taiwan contingency. The administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a notice on Nov. 14 advising citizens to refrain from visiting Japan. The instructions to travel agencies were given soon afterward, multiple sources said. One major state-owned agency was ordered to stop handling all group tours to Japan. Despite ceasing sales immediately, authorities visited an outlet to check compliance and threatened penalties if the travel agency did not follow the instructions. According to Chinese media, 2,195 flights to Japan next month, or 40.4 pct of all Japan-bound flights, will be canceled. An official at a travel agency that still sells group tours to Japan said that the agency does not recommend visits to Japan because flights may be canceled. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]