China on Friday added Japanese passport-holders to a newly expanded list of people eligible for unilateral visa-free entry on a trial basis, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian announced on Friday.
China also notified Japan that it will remove a buoy near the Diaoyu Islands, which are also claimed by Japan as the Senkaku Islands, Kyodo news reported.
Japan had objected to the installation of the buoy in the high seas over Japan’s southern continental shelf in the Pacific Ocean without explanation, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi calling the move “regrettable” in June.
The buoy was installed in high seas north of Japan’s southernmost Okinotori Island by the Chinese survey vessel Xiang Yang Hong 22 during a voyage through Japan’s waters, ostensibly “for the purpose of scientific research and serving public good.”
The move prompted an angry reaction from Chinese “little pink” nationalists online.
“Only those at the bottom of society remember history,” complained one comment, while another said: “My heart hurt inexplicably when I read this.”
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But state media reporting on the visa policy was buoyant, citing figures from Trip.com’s Japanese platform showing a surge of interest in Chinese destinations, with searches spiking by 112% within 30 minutes of the announcement.
Popular searches included Zhangjiajie (28.8%), Changbai Mountain (9.2%), Qingdao (11.1%), and Shanghai (9.6%), the Global Times newspaper reported.
Seeking foreign investment
Analysts said Beijing is keen seek further rapprochement with Japan, amid worsening tensions with the United States and an exodus of foreign investors.
“Japan is one of the most important foreign investors in China, particularly in technology,” Chen Li-fu, president of the Taiwan Professors Association, told RFA Cantonese in a recent interview, citing massive Japanese investment in Chinese vaccine factories in recent years.
“If China wants foreign investors to return ... Japan is the most likely source of investment,” he said. “Japanese manufacturers are still likely to want to set up in China, because ... most of its textile brands, its automotive industry and chemicals industry have ties with China.”
“And that cooperation would fall outside of the influence of the United States,” Chen said.
Taiwanese national security expert Shih Chien-yu said China is also looking for other sources of income before the Trump administration comes to power in Washington, bringing with it a huge hike in tariffs.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said he will impose a 10% tariff on all products coming into the U.S. from China on his first day in office as penalties for deadly fentanyl and illegal immigrants, which he claimed were pouring across the borders.
Competition with US
Trump’s election victory sparked concern in China, where many expect the next president to take a tougher stand than his predecessor, particularly on trade and economic issues, with repercussions for an already struggling Chinese economy.
“Faced with the way its international relations are going, China is learning to put aside the proud attitude of the past,” Shih said. “It’s clear that there will be competition with the United States, so Beijing will definitely look to compete by reaching out to Tokyo to try to ease ties.”
“They’ll be wanting to do this especially over the next few months, before Trump’s Indo-Pacific strategy becomes clear ... because if they wait until after that, there’ll be very little room for further action,' he said.
Shih said any rapprochement with Tokyo could also have security implications for the region.
“China, the United States and Japan have a very special military and security relationship, so China will be trying to differentiate its relationships with the United States and Japan,” he said.
“China will try to make some adjustments regarding Japan’s stance, which is to protect Taiwan or assist in its defense, because Japan will play an important role in any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait,” Shih said.
Asked about visa-free entry for Japanese nationals, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing wants to boost exchanges with Japan.
“We hope that Japan will work with China to jointly enhance the level of facilitation of personnel exchanges between the two countries,” Mao told a regular news briefing in Beijing on Monday.
Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Joshua Lipes.