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September 14, 2012

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Trade warning over Diaoyu row

China warned Japan yesterday that trade could suffer from the flare-up in tensions over the Diaoyu Islands.

On Tuesday, Japan said it had bought the islands in the East China Sea from a "private Japanese owner."

"With Japan's so-called purchase of the islands, it will be hard to avoid negative consequences for Sino-Japanese economic and trade ties," Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Jiang Zengwei said at a news briefing.

Jiang said there was nothing wrong with peaceful boycotts of Japanese goods. "If Chinese consumers, in a reasonable manner, express their positions and views against Japan's violation of China's territorial sovereignty, I think it is within their rights to do so and it is understandable," Jiang said.

Some Japanese enterprises have already started to feel the negative effects.

"Sales of Japanese digital products have sharply decreased since last month," said a retail store manager surnamed Lu who works in the Zhongguancun electronics market in Beijing, adding that fewer customers were showing interest in Japanese products.

Lackluster sales have hit many Japanese auto brands in China, the world's largest auto market. Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan's chief operating officer, said last week that sales were down.

China is Japan's largest trading partner. In 2011, their bilateral trade grew 14.3 percent in value to a record US$345 billion.

Zhang Li, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, said Japan's choice to escalate the dispute would harm Sino-Japan trade ties.

This will be reflected in trade volume fluctuations during the next three to five months, she said.

Following Jiang's comments, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba told reporters in Tokyo: "It is important that both Japan and China respond calmly with a broad picture in mind. I believe stable progress in Sino-Japanese relations should not be hindered by this development, and would like to ask China to take calm and appropriate steps."

Of the "purchase" of the islands, China's Foreign Ministry said yesterday: "People from all walks of life in China are greatly indignant at Japan's act, and China will continue to take decisive measures."

Protesters again gathered at the Japanese embassy in Beijing yesterday, waving banners and the Chinese flag while singing the national anthem and shouting slogans.

Japan's Foreign Ministry has issued an advisory urging Japanese nationals in China to stay away from rallies and refrain from behavior that attracts attention.



 

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