Japanese car sales slump in China amid row
Dispute over islands' sovereignty and consumer boycott has hit sales, say Japan's top carmakers
Japan's top three carmakers said yesterday that sales in mainland China slumped last year as a consumer boycott sparked by a territorial row took a heavy toll.
Nissan - which has the most exposure to China of the three - said sales in the world's biggest vehicle market last year fell 5.3 per cent to 1.18 million units.
"The Sino-Japanese territorial disputes that began in September have seriously affected Nissan's sales and marketing activities in China," the firm said.
Toyota, Japan's largest carmaker, said its China sales fell 4.9 per cent to 840,000 vehicles, although it forecast a recovery this year, announcing a sales target above 900,000 units.
Honda, meanwhile, said sales in China declined 3.1 per cent last year to 598,576 vehicles, its second straight annual decline, after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami battered Japanese manufacturers' results.
A long-standing diplomatic dispute flared badly in mid-September after Tokyo nationalised East China Sea islands also claimed by Beijing, sparking huge protests across China and boycotts of Japanese products.
The row over the islands, known as the Diaoyus in China and the Senkakus in Japan, hurt Japanese carmakers with operations in the country while boosting demand for other foreign brands.