China-Japan Relations

Tokyo's Ueno Zoo bid farewell to its last giant pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, as they departed for China on Tuesday. Hundreds of fans braved the winter cold to say goodbye, marking the first time Japan has been without pandas since 1972.

20. januar 2026 Rapporteret af AI

After Japan's surrender in 1945, more than 4,000 Japanese children were left behind in China and raised by Chinese foster parents, earning them the name Japanese 'war orphans'. Tomoji Ohara, one such orphan, was adopted by a Chinese woman at age three or four and did not return to Japan until his forties. He has said that the orphans were not lonely in China, but truly isolated in Japan.

Following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan, China has intensified diplomatic efforts to isolate Japan, reaching consensus with Russia in high-level talks. Beijing's response includes coordinated media attacks and economic pressure. The dispute underscores tensions over regional security.

1. december 2025 Rapporteret af AI

Japanese and Chinese coast guard vessels clashed in a standoff around the disputed Senkaku Islands on Tuesday. Both nations' authorities reported the incident amid strained ties following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent suggestion that Japan might intervene militarily in a Chinese assault on Taiwan. Two Chinese patrol ships entered Japan's territorial waters and departed hours later.

Major Chinese state-run airline Air China announced it will significantly reduce flights between Chinese and Japanese cities starting later this month, amid rising political tensions between the two countries. Flights between Shanghai and Osaka will drop from 21 round trips a week to 16. An airline official cited plane availability as the reason.

19. november 2025 Rapporteret af AI

The Japanese government is monitoring China's propaganda battle following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on a Taiwan contingency. At a meeting of foreign ministry officials in Beijing on Tuesday, China reiterated its strong condemnation, and images of a Japanese diplomat appearing to bow to his Chinese counterpart went viral on Chinese social media. Tokyo lodged a complaint with Beijing over uncoordinated press arrangements.