China stepped up its economic war with Japan on Wednesday as a dispute between Asia’s two biggest economies intensified over a remark by Tokyo's new leader about a Japanese response to any Chinese military move against self-ruled Taiwan.

Beijing suggested it might reimpose a ban on seafood imports from Japan after warning its citizens to avoid travel there and postponing the release of at least two Japanese movies.

Japan's tourism-related stocks fell amid worsening diplomatic standoff between the two nations after Beijing issued a travel and study advisory.

China advised its citizens Friday to refrain from traveling to Japan in the near future. It cited earlier attacks against Chinese in Japan and what it called Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi 's "erroneous remarks" on Taiwan, which it said undermined the atmosphere for China-Japan exchange.

The postponement comes barely two weeks after remarks about Taiwan by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sparked a heated response from China and kicked off the most serious diplomatic clash between the two East Asian powers in years.