Sino-Japanese Relations Sour, Beijing and Shanghai Film Festivals Cancel Japan Film Week

(CNA, Shanghai, 18th, by reporter Liao Wen-chi) Amid the impact on Sino-Japanese relations from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's "Taiwan contingency" remarks, the upcoming Shanghai International Film Festival in June will not hold its "Japan Film Week" event. Previously, the Beijing International Film Festival held in April also did not feature a "Japan Film Week." Kyodo News reported today that the 2026 Shanghai International Film Festival will be held from June 12 to 21, and according to organizers, there will be no "Japan Film Week" event this year. The Beijing International Film Festival in April similarly did not have a "Japan Film Week." The report quoted a source related to the Shanghai film festival as saying, "Film is an opportunity to convey the feelings of the Japanese and Chinese people; it is regrettable. I hope it can be held next year." The report points out that since 2006, the Chinese side and the "Japan-China Film Festival Executive Committee" (Tokyo) have jointly hosted the Japan Film Week, which has been held almost every year in China. It was not interrupted even when the Japanese government nationalized the Diaoyu Islands (known as Senkaku Islands in Japan) in 2012, or during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2025, after Sanae Takaichi brought up the "Taiwan contingency" theory in a parliamentary response, it caused extreme dissatisfaction from the Chinese side. The latest film in the "Crayon Shin-chan" series had its release in China postponed, and other new Japanese films have also had their releases delayed one after another. It's not just movies; several events in China for Japanese entertainment artists have been canceled, such as the musical "Sailor Moon" and an Ayumi Hamasaki concert. In other areas, the Chinese side has also suspended numerous flights to Japan and advised citizens against traveling to Japan. (Editor: Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150518