China has urged its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan, a popular destination for Chinese tourists, as a diplomatic row festers over threats by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the possibility of deploying forces in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, Aljazeera reported.

The Japanese government raised its objections on Saturday to Beijing’s travel advisory, lodging a formal protest. Top spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, urged China to take “appropriate measures”, Japan’s Kyodo News Service reported.

Kihara told reporters that it is precisely because of the differences between the two governments that multilayered communication is essential, a Kyodo report said, according to Aljazeera.