Japan's survey shows that Japanese companies are gradually reducing their reliance on China in areas such as manufacturing, sales, and tourism.

Nikkei Asia reported today that the Japan Imperial Data Survey Company released a survey last week showing that only 16.2% of companies with overseas operations consider China as their most important market, a figure lower than 23.8% in the 2019 survey.

The survey also pointed out that the proportion of companies considering China as their most important market has dropped from 25.9% to 12.3%.

The survey was conducted from October 20 to 31, involving 1,908 companies, of which 59% have more than 1,000 employees. The shift revealed by the survey aligns with the continuous decline in trade between Japan and China over the past few years.

Japan's exports to China showed a third consecutive year of decline in 2024, according to data from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), indicating a 24% decrease in Japan's exports to China compared to 2021.

In particular, exports of automotive parts to China have seen a double-digit decline for three consecutive years, and exports of "specific functional machinery" such as industrial robots have also shown a double-digit decline for three consecutive years.

China has taken a series of punitive measures against Japan in response to Prime Minister Taro Aso's remarks in the Diet on November 7. Aso's statements violated the "One China" principle.

Following this, China took a series of related measures, including issuing travel advisories targeting Japan, discouraging Chinese citizens from studying in Japan, and suspending imports of Japanese seafood.

However, some industries and regions in Japan have already been promoting diversification strategies and exploring new markets.

In the tourism sector, the number of Chinese guests at hotels in Hokkaido has significantly decreased, and these hotel operators have turned to attract other foreign tourists.

In Hokkaido, the share of visitors from China and Hong Kong has dropped from 42% in August 2019 to 23% in August.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849855484724233/

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