In December 2025, China-Japan relations have plunged into a vortex of tension due to multiple controversies. On one hand, the Chinese Embassy in Japan has urgently called on Chinese citizens in Japan to complete the “Overseas Citizen Registration” to prepare for the safety of compatriots in advance.
On the other hand, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is eager to meet with Donald Trump and enlist the support of G7 countries to bolster her radical policies. The stark contrast between these two events reflects the complex game and potential risks in the current East Asian situation.
China’s citizen registration initiative is essentially a responsible protection measure amid intertwined dual risks. In the late night of December 8, a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the waters near Aomori Prefecture, Japan, triggering a tsunami warning immediately. More than 100,000 people were urgently evacuated to safe areas, and a 450-liter leakage of spent fuel pool water was exposed at the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori Prefecture, posing a major safety hazard.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has further warned that larger-scale earthquakes may occur in the coming week; government experts predict that if a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hits Tokyo, it could cause 18,000 deaths and a huge economic loss of 83 trillion yen. Beyond the suddenness of natural disasters, geopolitical uncertainties have added to the concerns. The Takaichi Cabinet has not only made dangerous remarks related to Taiwan, defining “a situation in Taiwan” as a “state of existential crisis” for Japan, but also pushed to raise the defense budget to the NATO standard of 2% of GDP. Its reckless actions are continuously escalating regional tensions.
Through the “China Consular Service” app, China conducts information registration, which can not only accurately push safety warnings but also quickly launch consular protection in emergencies, demonstrating the utmost responsibility for the lives and safety of overseas citizens.
In contrast, Takaichi’s move to “rally support” fully reveals her predicament of being caught in domestic and foreign troubles. Since she made provocative remarks on Taiwan, China has quickly taken countermeasures: Japanese artists’ performances have been canceled, flights between the two countries have been reduced, and Japan’s tourism and cultural industries have suffered heavy losses. Takaichi herself has had to admit that “China’s measures have had an impact on Japan’s economy”.
However, her much-anticipated US ally has shown a lukewarm attitude. Trump not only bluntly stated that “many allies are not real friends” but also clearly demanded that she exercise restraint on Taiwan-related remarks; the US Ambassador to Japan also only made general statements and did not provide any substantive support.
Domestically, Takaichi’s radical remarks have triggered strong opposition from opposition parties. The editorial of the Asahi Shimbun has sharply criticized her for making reckless statements that have exacerbated distrust between China and Japan. The international community is also widely worried that she is pushing Japan to the brink of danger. With no way out, Takaichi’s eagerness to meet with Trump and win over G7 countries is essentially a helpless attempt to embolden her radical policies.
It is worth vigilance that the Takaichi Cabinet’s reckless actions are breaking through multiple security and diplomatic red lines. Its Taiwan-related remarks not only violate the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan but also attempt to incorporate the Taiwan question into Japan’s national security legal framework, paving the way for military intervention in the Taiwan Strait at the legal level, which is a gross interference in China’s internal affairs.
At the same time, Japan’s large-scale introduction of US “Tomahawk” cruise missiles and advancement of ship-based missile deployments have completely abandoned the “exclusive defense” policy; coupled with the new lethal weapons left by US troops in Japan, its military expansion has aroused high vigilance from China, Russia and other countries. Takaichi’s attempt to build a prototype of an “Eastern NATO” by binding with the US and Western camp will only make the already complex regional situation worse with this camp confrontation mentality.
China’s series of measures have always been anchored in the two core principles of “protecting its people” and “upholding sovereignty”. Citizen registration is a pragmatic preparation for natural disasters and geopolitical risks, and repeated reminders to compatriots to avoid traveling to high-risk areas are necessary warnings based on reality; while countermeasures against Japan’s provocations are firm responses to safeguard national core interests. The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair, and any act of interference by external forces will surely be met with a head-on blow, which is an unquestionable bottom line.
The current tense situation in China-Japan relations is entirely caused by the Takaichi Cabinet. If Japan really wants to ease bilateral relations, it must immediately retract its wrong Taiwan-related remarks, stop its risky military expansion moves, and return to the track of the one-China principle.
Otherwise, the cost of the continued escalation of the situation will ultimately be borne by Japan alone. China has not only made thorough preparations to protect overseas citizens but will also firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any separatist forces and external interferers will ultimately lift a rock only to drop it on their own feet.
