Xi Jinping s Major Misjudgment : A Historic Win-Win for Japan Airlines

Mount Fuji in Japan. (Reprinted from Gan Jing World )

[People News] Following Japanese Prime Minister Kishi Sanae's statement that 'If there is an issue in Taiwan, it is an issue for Japan,' Xi Jinping, under his direct command, led the Chinese Communist Party to significantly cut flights to Japan. This move was intended to exert pressure on Japan and serve as a diplomatic bargaining chip, but it backfired spectacularly! A substantial number of travellers between China and Japan shifted to Japan Airlines, resulting in record highs for both the volume and profits of Japan Airlines (JAL).

According to an analysis of scheduled flight data by the UK airline data company OAG (Official Airline Guide), the number of seats on flights from China to Japan in December 2025 fell from 1.85 million in early November to 1.42 million, marking a decrease of 23.2%. The number of flights also dropped from 9,813 to 7,432, a reduction of 24.3%. Bloomberg data indicates that the number of booked flights from China to Japan in December last year was over 20% lower than in October.

The reductions varied among airlines: Air China cut flights by about 10%, China Eastern Airlines by about 13%, and China Southern Airlines by about 24%. Low-cost carriers faced even greater impacts, with Spring Airlines reducing flights by 36%, Juneyao Airlines by 41%, and Shenzhen Airlines nearly halving its flight volume. Additionally, at least 12 routes connecting Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Nanjing with Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sapporo were suspended, with some routes switching from wide-body aircraft to single-aisle aircraft.

Despite the reduction in flights from China, the demand for shipping between China and Japan remains strong. Following the cutbacks, passengers quickly shifted to Japanese airlines operating on the China-Japan routes. According to a statement from a Japanese airline, its earnings before interest and taxes for the first three quarters of the fiscal year 2025 rose by 24.2% year-on-year to 179.1 billion yen, while sales revenue increased by 9.2% year-on-year to 1.5137 trillion yen, both marking record highs for the same period since its relisting.

The Japanese media outlet "President Online" noted that the Chinese Communist Party attempted to leverage the flight reductions as a means of pressuring Japan and as a diplomatic tool. However, this strategy ultimately backfired, resulting in a "major misjudgment" that not only failed to curb demand but also allowed Japanese airlines to capture the passenger market, making them the primary beneficiaries.

Some commentators have humorously suggested that Xi Jinping's "major misjudgment" has earned him the title of a "historical emperor." Since taking office, he has squandered a strong position. In every area he has "personally directed and deployed," whether military, diplomatic, political, or economic, has not ended in a "major misjudgment"? △