Boys hold turtle-shaped pastries for worship in Phuket, Thailand. XINHUA

Lyu points out the archipelago proactively courts Chinese tourists.

"Direct flight routes between major Chinese cities and Bali, plus a visa-free policy, win them a handful of bills. More resources and money are being spent on advertising, upgrading facilities, training Chinese-speaking guides and trade shows."

The tourism authorities, embassies and comparable bodies of Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines didn't respond to repeated China Daily interview requests.

The Philippines' acting cultural attache in Shanghai, Gerard Panga, explains by e-mail: "We are assessing the situation, with high hopes that everything will normalize at the soonest possible time."

Panga adds a media statement will be released afterward.