Nov 15, Kathmandu - A diplomatic row has escalated after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan could deploy troops if China attacks Taiwan. China has urged its citizens not to travel to Japan.

Tensions have risen since Takaichi told the Japanese parliament on November 7 that Tokyo could face a military response if force was used against the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, strongly condemned the remarks as provocative. On Friday, China summoned Japan's ambassador for an explanation.

Tokyo also summoned the Chinese ambassador for an explanation after a now-deleted social media post by the Chinese consul general in Osaka appeared to threaten Takaichi.

Tokyo said the incident did not change Japan's "stable and unchanging" policy on Taiwan, which is about 110 kilometers (70 miles) from Japan's nearest island.

Late Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Japan warned its citizens against traveling to Japan in an online post. The post, published on WeChat, said, “Recently, Japanese leaders have made open and provocative comments about Taiwan, which has seriously damaged the atmosphere of people-to-people relations between the two countries.”

On Saturday, China's major airlines Air China, China Southern and China Eastern announced that they would offer full refunds on flights to Japan before the end of the year.

The airlines issued a statement saying that refunds or itinerary changes for flights from Saturday to December 31 would be free of charge. From Al Jazeera.