Hong Kong, Nov 24 (EFE). - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has ordered the immediate suspension of all official relations with the Consulate General of Japan and canceled the participation of a student delegation in an exchange program, in response to the escalation of the diplomatic dispute between China and Japan.
This measure, implemented since Sunday, is a direct consequence of statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who on November 7 admitted that Tokyo could use force if Beijing attempted to occupy or blockade Taiwan. Words that the Chinese government described as "intolerable interference".
The decision led to the indefinite suspension of a business forum scheduled for November 18 under the auspices of Invest Hong Kong, after local authorities vetoed the presence of Japanese consular staff. A high-level meeting on economic cooperation scheduled for early December with the consul general was also canceled.
The freeze on contacts aligns with the line set by Beijing, which the previous Friday recommended avoiding non-essential travel to Japan due to the "continuous worsening" of citizen security. The next day, the Hong Kong Security Bureau activated a amber alert for the entire Japanese territory, the first general alert since the Fukushima nuclear accident, and called for extreme caution due to the increase in aggressions against Chinese citizens.
In the educational sphere, the Education Bureau announced the withdrawal of eighteen students and teachers from the JENESYS program, an initiative launched by Tokyo in 2007 and to which the former British colony had participated since 2008.
The trip, scheduled from December 7 to 13, included classes in Japanese centers, homestays, and heritage visits. "After evaluating the increase in incidents against Chinese nationals and prioritizing the integrity of students and teachers, it has been decided not to participate," explained the body.
In the aviation sector, Greater Bay Airlines offers a full refund for tickets purchased until November 15 with departure before December 31, while Cathay Pacific, HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines facilitate free changes. Local travel agencies report a 20-30% drop in inquiries about Japanese destinations and a trickle of requests to change routes or postpone dates, although operators maintain that, without a red alert, all groups will depart as scheduled.
The escalation turns Hong Kong into a new stage of Sino-Japanese tension, with direct repercussions on official, educational, and tourist exchanges, and casts uncertainty over the bilateral economic relationship in a context of growing distrust.
