# Why China pulled the plug on Japan

An episode of [The Indicator from Planet Money](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1320118593), 5 Jan 2026, 9:01.

Audio: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-510325/npr.simplecastaudio.com/0a4e8d3b-fe23-4948-9e39-20fcf16f9331/episodes/be820ce5-f2f6-416e-a029-738279bf4f41/audio/128/default.mp3?awCollectionId=0a4e8d3b-fe23-4948-9e39-20fcf16f9331&awEpisodeId=be820ce5-f2f6-416e-a029-738279bf4f41&t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5664903&p=510325&d=541&size=8662292

Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi made waves last fall after saying her country might intervene if China invaded Taiwan. In response, China launched state-organized boycotts against Japan — canceling concerts, restricting seafood imports, and even recalling pandas. Today on the show, what does it look like for a state to organize a boycott, and does it work? Related episodes: How Japan’s new prime minister is jolting markets When do boycotts work? Forging Taiwan's Silicon Shield For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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