China has issued a travel warning for Japan amid an escalating dispute sparked by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.

The diplomatic row comes after Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi said Japan may intervene if China blockades Taiwan.

Japan raised objections Saturday after China advised its citizens to avoid visiting Japan, as a feud over the new Japanese leader's remarks on Taiwan showed no signs of dying down.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi angered Beijing by saying that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could be a “survival-threatening situation” and bring a military response from Tokyo.

Sanae Takaichi had said that any Chinese military move against Taiwan ‘could allow Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense’ - Anadolu Ajansı

In spite of the uproar, Ms Takaichi refused to retract her statement, insisting it aligned with Japan’s official position. Ms Takaichi, a protégé of late prime minister Shinzo Abe, is known for her hawkish views on China and longstanding support for Taiwan.

Japan moves closer to openly linking Taiwan’s security to its own as China responds with thinly veiled threats

Takaichi has called China an "important neighbor" and faces the challenge of balancing ties with both Beijing and Washington, Japan’s top trade partners, amid tensions over Taiwan and a territorial dispute over an island group in the East China Sea.

The egregious nature of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks over Taiwan lies not only in how they openly undermine the political foundation of China-Japan relations, but also in her refusal to retract her erroneous statements after the incident,

Sanae Takaichi had said any Chinese military move against Taiwan ‘could allow Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense’ - Anadolu Ajansı

Heavyweights clash as election of hawkish PM Sanae Takaichi and US policy unpredictability change calculus in region