Japanese automakers’ sales in China gutted over island spat
by The Canadian Press
Japan and China have been at odds over the sovereignty of a group of tiny islands in the East China Sea.
TOKYO—Mitsubishi Motor and Mazda have reported a plunge in China auto sales for September when tensions between Japan and China escalated into anti-Japanese riots.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said its China sales plummeted 63 per cent to 2,340 vehicles in September from 6,307 a year earlier. Mazda Motor Corp. said its sales in China sank 36 per cent to 13,258 vehicles for the month.
Japanese media reports said Toyota had also suffered a sales plunge in China. But the world’s biggest car maker would not confirm that. It said it would release September sales figures on Tuesday as planned.
Japan and China have been at odds over the sovereignty of a group of tiny islands in the East China Sea.
Tensions boiled over last month with anti-Japanese protests and riots sweeping dozens of Chinese cities.
Mazda said it was difficult to measure how much of its September sales decline was due to the row between Tokyo and Beijing.
It said some of its dealerships were damaged during the riots. In August, Mazda’s China sales were down 5.5 per cent from a year earlier to 16,539 vehicles.
