Japan Car Industry To Set Up Office In China
WASHINGTON -Dow Jones reported that the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association is set to open an office in Beijing as early as next year to gather information on China's rapidly growing car market for Japanese automakers, the major daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported on its Web site Thursday.
The Japanese auto industry group also intends to use the office as a venue for negotiation and coordination between the Chinese government and Japanese carmakers, the report added.
In order to fund the opening of the Beijing office, the association is thinking of downsizing the three overseas offices, including the one in Washington, D.C., the report said.
Back in the 1980s, when Japan was harshly criticized for its aggressive car exports, the three offices helped the Japanese government resolve trade friction with the U.S. and European countries.
But since the trade problems have subsided due to a significant increase in Japanese automakers' overseas production in the U.S. and Europe, the Japanese industry association has decided to shift its focus to the growing Chinese market, the report said.
China's car production is growing at an annual rate of about 10%, and 2.3 million cars and trucks were manufactured in 2001. Japan's largest carmaker Toyota Motor Corp. which had lagged behind other Japanese car manufacturers in cultivating the Chinese market, recently struck a joint-venture deal with FAW Group Corp. , China's biggest automaker.