After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai’s remarks about possible intervention in Taiwan, tensions between China and Japan have spilled into the entertainment world, affecting a K-pop group aespa. A petition to block aespa’s Chinese member from appearing on a Japanese television program emerged amid the controversy.

The petition argues that Kohaku Uta Gassen is a major official event, and tolerating such statements would damage Japan’s international image and wound Hiroshima victims. As of the afternoon of the 18th, more than 50,000 people had signed. As Sino-Japanese tensions deepened, the controversy resurfaced and calls to cancel aespa’s Kohaku appearance were raised.

The article notes that aespa has recently become a focal point in the ongoing Sino-Japanese diplomatic frictions. Reports said that the petition’s impact has drawn attention to aespa’s involvement in these tensions, and there is speculation about whether aespa’s Kohaku performance on December 31 could reflect the state of the relationship between the two countries.

Ningning, aespa’s Chinese member, previously drew criticism in Japan after posting a light resembling a mushroom cloud following the atomic bombings. The broader diplomatic frictions have led commentators to say aespa has emerged as a casualty of the China–Japan standoff, amid discussions about whether or not the group should perform at Kohaku.