China has ordered the cancellation of all regular flights on 49 routes to Japan and warned its citizens to avoid traveling to this island country, especially during the Lunar New Year festival, citing Chinese nationals being targeted for threats.
Foreign news agencies reported on 27 Jan 2026 that Chinese authorities have canceled all regular flights on 49 routes connecting to Japan. Meanwhile, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated travel warnings, urging citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, particularly during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.
Data from Flight Master, a Chinese travel platform, shows that the cancellation rate of flights between mainland China and Japan surged to 47.2% in January, up 7.8% compared to December 2025. As of Monday, 26 January, flights on 49 specified routes scheduled for February have already been canceled.
Affected flights include 113 flights between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Kansai International Airport in Osaka, and 13 flights between Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido.
Several Chinese airlines, including Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern, have announced extensions of their flight change and refund policies for travel related to Japan until 24 October, extended from the original deadline of 28 March.
These airline policies were first announced in November 2025 after Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that if China attacked Taiwan, it could be considered a "threatening situation to Japan’s survival," potentially prompting a military response from Tokyo.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its warning to citizens again last Monday, asking them to avoid traveling to Japan during the Lunar New Year in February.
“Recently, public safety in Japan has deteriorated, with frequent illegal incidents and crimes targeting Chinese nationals,” the Consular Department said in a statement, adding that Chinese residents in Japan may face "serious security threats."
The statement also mentioned ongoing earthquakes in some areas of Japan, which have resulted in injuries.
China was formerly the largest group of foreign tourists to Japan, with nearly 7.5 million visits reported in the first nine months of 2025, accounting for one-quarter of all foreign tourists according to official figures.
Analysts noted that Chinese tourists, attracted by the weak yen, generated approximately 3.7 billion U.S. dollars in revenue during the third quarter.
However, the number of Chinese tourists in December fell about 45% year-on-year to just 330,000, following a deterioration in bilateral relations.
.cna