SHANGHAI, Dec 9 – A ferry service linking Shanghai with the western Japanese cities of Osaka and Kobe has been suspended at Beijing’s request, the operator said, amid escalating bilateral tensions over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan.
The Osaka-based company operating the ferry Jian Zhen Hao said passenger service has been halted since Saturday, as China claims the safety of travel between the two countries cannot be guaranteed.
The operator also said Monday that it has not yet decided when services will resume and will refund all booked tickets without charging cancellation fees.
The ferry had resumed passenger services in June after a hiatus of around five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beijing has increased pressure on Tokyo since Takaichi suggested in parliament on Nov. 7 that an attack on Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China, could constitute an existential threat to Japan and warrant a response by the nation’s Self-Defense Forces.
