China urges its citizens in Japan to stay vigilant amid reports of violent incidents

China has urged its citizens in Japan to remain vigilant and claimed that Chinese nationals have been targeted in several regions of the country, Chinese state-run media reported Monday.

A notice issued Saturday by the Chinese Embassy in Japan said that public security conditions in some regions of Japan have recently deteriorated, citing violent incidents in some prefectures including Fukuoka, Shizuoka and Aichi, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The embassy said many Chinese travelers reported being verbally abused or physically assaulted without provocation, resulting in injuries.

It also specifically referenced a vehicle-ramming incident on Dec. 31 in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, in which two Chinese citizens were seriously injured and required emergency hospital treatment.

The embassy again advised Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near term.

There was no immediate response from Japanese authorities regarding the Chinese embassy's latest statements.

Tensions between China and Japan have escalated since Nov. 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could legally constitute a "survival-threatening situation," potentially allowing Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense.

Her remarks triggered a massive backlash from Beijing, with China advising against travel to Japan and re-imposing a ban on imports of seafood, among other restrictive measures.