ISTANBUL

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday issued a notice urging Chinese nationals to refrain from traveling to Japan in the immediate future, following a series of earthquakes that struck northeastern Japan, Global Times reported.

Since Dec. 8, several earthquakes, including one with a 7.5 magnitude, have hit the country, causing many injuries, triggering visible tsunamis, and leading to evacuation orders affecting more than 100,000 people, a statement from the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Affairs Department said on WeChat.

On late Monday night, at least 50 people were injured in a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck northeastern Japan, with a warning of more tremors this week.

Several aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 5.0 to 6.6, were also reported in the hours following the main quake, with Japanese authorities warning that the region could experience another quake of similar or greater intensity in the coming days.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, along with the Chinese Embassy and consulates in Japan, has advised Chinese citizens to avoid travel to Japan for the time being.

Those already in Japan are urged to stay informed about earthquake and secondary disaster alerts, comply with local evacuation orders, take precautions to ensure personal safety, and avoid high-risk areas such as beaches.

The fresh issue came after the Foreign Ministry also released a notice on Nov. 14, advising Chinese nationals to refrain from traveling to Japan in the near future, citing security concerns amid ongoing tensions between China and Japan on Taiwan.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have been strained in recent weeks. On Nov. 7, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could legally constitute a “survival-threatening situation,” potentially allowing Japan to “exercise the right of collective self-defense.”

China sharply criticized the remarks, advised its citizens against travel to Japan, suspended seafood imports, and postponed a trilateral culture ministers’ meeting with Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing, lies close to Japan’s Yonaguni Island.