China Warns Citizens Against Travel to Japan After Series of Powerful Earthquakes

China has issued a fresh travel advisory urging its citizens to avoid Japan following a string of powerful earthquakes that have rocked the country since Dec. 8, including a 7.5-magnitude tremor that left at least 50 people injured on Monday night.

In a notice released Thursday via WeChat, the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Consular Affairs Department said multiple quakes had triggered visible tsunamis, caused widespread injuries, and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate in northeastern Japan. Authorities in Japan have also warned of continued seismic activity, with aftershocks measuring between magnitude 5.0 and 6.6 reported within hours of the initial quake. Officials fear another major earthquake of equal or greater strength could occur in the coming days.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, along with its embassy and consulates in Japan, advised citizens already in the country to closely monitor local alerts, follow evacuation instructions, avoid high-risk coastal zones, and take necessary safety precautions.

This latest advisory follows a similar notice issued on Nov. 14, when Beijing urged citizens to reconsider travel to Japan amid rising tensions over Taiwan. Relations between both nations have been strained, particularly after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated on Nov. 7 that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could be deemed a “survival-threatening situation,” potentially justifying Japan’s use of collective self-defense.

Beijing condemned the statement, halted seafood imports from Japan, and delayed a planned trilateral culture ministers’ meeting with Japan and South Korea. Taiwan, claimed by China, lies close to Japan’s Yonaguni Island.