China suspends Japanese film releases amid diplomatic row over Taiwan

Due to an escalating diplomatic row over Taiwan, Chinese film distributors have suspended the release of two Japanese anime movies.

Super Hot! Crayon Shin-chan the movie The Hot Kasukabe Cells and Dancers at Work! will not be screened as originally scheduled in mainland China, according to the state-run CCTV of China.

Following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo might use force militarily if China attempted to overthrow Taiwan, the move comes at a time when Tokyo and Beijing’s relationship are at their lowest point in years.

According to CCTV, distributors made the “prudent” decision to postpone the releases in light of the Chinese audience’s perception of the Japanese films overall.

Film distributors claimed Takaichi’s “provocative remarks” would unavoidably affect Chinese viewers’ perceptions of Japanese films, according to CCTV. They also stated that the companies would “follow market principles and respect audience preferences” by halting the release dates.

The postponements allegedly complied with a well-known playbook in Chinese statecraft, according to Edith Cowan University’s expert in economic coercion, Naoise McDonagh.

According to McDonagh, “China is typically careful to target trade that is not necessary for China, but which will have a significant impact on Japanese firms, causing both financial costs and symbolic pressure,” McDonagh said.

According to McDonagh, these incidents give Beijing the ability to “assign some degree of influence” on other governmental decision-making processes that affect China’s red line by signaling that parties who violate its interests will pay costs.

Beijing responded to Takaichi’s comments with a number of retaliatory measures, including a warning against visiting Japan and deploying warships in waters close to the disputed Senkaku Islands, with the delayed film releases.

Japan issued its own travel advisory for China on Monday, instructing its citizens to observe local customs, stay away from crowd-clogged locations, and use caution when speaking with Chinese people.

Minoru Kihara, the head of Japan’s cabinet, stated to a regular media briefing on Tuesday that its recommendations were based on “the social circumstances” of various nations, and that its most recent statement reflected recent reports about the tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

After Beijing claimed that Chinese Premier Li Qiang had no plans to meet Takaichi on the eve of the G20 summit this weekend in South Africa, Kihara added that Tokyo had an “open stance” on dialogue with China.

In a bid to ease conflict between the countries, Kihara made the remarks as Masaaki Kanai, Japan’s top official for Asia-Pacific affairs, met with Liu Jinsong on Tuesday in Beijing.

Taiwan, which China calls home, is considered to be a part of its territory and has pledged to “reunify” it with the Chinese mainland, using force if necessary.

Due to the island’s close proximity to Japanese territory and its proximity to international waters, Japan is concerned about China’s position on Taiwan.