Society

Travel warning issued for Japan after bus attacked

By Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-02 07:23

BEIJING - China issued a travel warning for Japan late Thursday night after a group of Chinese tourists were attacked and harassed, reflecting continued strains over the recent Diaoyu Islands incident.

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The National Tourism Administration said in a statement posted on its website that "Chinese tourists and tour groups currently in Japan or planning to go to Japan in the near future should watch their travel safety".

It advised tourists to contact the Chinese embassy in Tokyo or nearby consulates in case of emergency.

According to the Asahi newspaper, a bus carrying Chinese tourists in the western Japanese city of Fukuoka was surrounded on Wednesday by more than 10 cars carrying Japanese right-wingers, who then banged windows and kicked the sides of the buses while screaming abuse. Police arrived at the scene and the bus left safely.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Thursday expressed firm opposition to such unfriendly and illegal action, urging Japanese authorities to take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals.

In September, Japan seized a Chinese trawler and its members of crew in waters off China's Diaoyu Islands. After strong protests from China, all the members of crew were released and the boat returned.

China Youth Travel Service said they would be on alert to ensure the safety of their tour members.

Tourism between the two countries has already been badly hit despite Japan loosening visa restrictions for Chinese nationals in July to help it recover from its economic downturn.

The Chinese mainland is the third largest source of tourists to Japan after the Republic of Korea and Taiwan.

In the first five months of this year, the number of Chinese mainland visitors to Japan rose 36 percent year-on-year to about 600,000, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Chinese tourists spend, on average, 230,000 yen ($2,613) on each trip, a massive injection of capital into the retail sector, local economists have noted, according to Xinhua News Agency.

However, recent tension has seen a drop in the number of Chinese people traveling to Japan.

In September, a Beijing-based health food company canceled a group tour to Japan for 10,000 of its employees.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Friday that amicable ties between China and Japan were vital not only for the two nations but also for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Even if a variety of problems occur between Japan and China, I believe it would be important to address them calmly as neighbors," Kan said at a policy speech opening an extraordinary Diet session.

Ma Zhaoxu, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, responded on Friday that China attaches great importance to the relationship with Japan and hopes to maintain good ties with its neighbor.

He also emphasized that the Diaoyu Islands are China's territory since ancient times. Japan's move to seize Chinese fishermen and the boat and apply its domestic judicial process is "ridiculous, illegal and ineffective".

Shen Shishun, an analyst at the China Foundation for International Studies, said Tokyo should take a more practical line.

Japan should understand the Diaoyu Islands are Chinese and acting unilaterally will not help solve problems, he said.

Sources said Goshi Hosono, former deputy secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, was trying to seek a meeting between Kan and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in the upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting in Brussels.

Hosono returned to Tokyo on Thursday, but no details were revealed.

Wang Chengyan contributed to this story.