China–Japan flight cancellations surge, expected to hit one-month high on Dec. 27 | investingLive

A growing number of flights from mainland China to Japan are being cancelled, with 12 major routes already scrapping all scheduled services for the coming week, according to data from industry tracker Flight Master. As of 10 a.m. Monday, cancellations were concentrated among some of the busiest China–Japan links, including Tianjin Binhai–Kansai International, Nanjing Lukou–Kansai International and Guangzhou Baiyun–Kansai International.

Flight Master expects cancellations on Japan-bound routes to peak on December 27, when the rate is projected to reach 21.6%, the highest level in a month. The reductions reflect unusually low planned flight volumes, underscoring weaker travel demand and operational adjustments by airlines heading into the year-end period.

The sudden spike in China-Japan flight cancellations follows a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations triggered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks suggesting Japan could invoke collective self-defence if China attacked Taiwan. Beijing condemned the comments as belligerent, summoned Tokyo’s ambassador and issued travel advisories against Japan, signalling its willingness to use economic and people-to-people pressure to punish Japan.

At the same time, China has ramped up maritime and diplomatic retaliation: coast-guard patrols near the disputed Senkaku Islands (which China calls Diaoyu), suspension of Japanese seafood imports, and a wave of cancellations by Chinese tour groups and airlines. These actions are partly aimed at reinforcing China’s stance on Taiwan, deterring Japan’s security posture, and signalling to Japanese business and tourism sectors that there is a cost to Tokyo’s shift in policy.