Many Japanese companies say that China's suspension of visa issuance for Japanese travelers will probably have a limited impact for now. But they are concerned it may affect employees due to be stationed in China if the action is prolonged.

Beijing announced on Tuesday it was stopping issuing certain visas for visitors from Japan and South Korea.

Major Japanese firms have already scaled back business trips to China due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Many also refrain from planning trips around the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry says about 102,000 Japanese nationals were staying in China for at least three months as of last October, including employees and students.
That is only 12 percent fewer than in 2019 before the pandemic.