Several Chinese airlines have canceled flights to Japan amid diplomatic tensions following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent comments about Taiwan.
Sichuan Airlines notified Japanese partners it will cancel all Chengdu-Sapporo flights between January 1 and March 28, 2026, citing "company planning reasons." Spring Airlines and 9 Air have also canceled multiple Japan routes including Guangzhou-Osaka flights, with some passengers notified of cancellations due to "public security reasons."
Separately, Xuzhou city in Jiangsu province canceled a delegation's planned visit to its sister city Handa in Aichi prefecture, citing "important official business" in an email notification. The cities have maintained sister-city relations since 1993.
The cancellations and diplomatic pause follow Prime Minister Takaichi's recent statements about Taiwan contingency planning, which have drawn strong reactions from Chinese authorities. Airlines are monitoring passenger rebooking patterns while assessing future Japan flight schedules.
