TOKYO, Sept. 26 (Kyodo) — Toyota Motor Corp. and other major Japanese automakers plan to reduce vehicle output in China as their local sales are dwindling amid a bilateral territorial row, industry sources said Wednesday.
Movements to boycott Japanese products including cars have emerged in China, the largest auto market in the world, in protest at Japan's Sept. 11 nationalization of the Senkaku Islands claimed by China.
Toyota suspended production at its plants in Guangdong Province and Tianjin city from Wednesday even before an earlier-scheduled production halt during China's eight-day National Day holiday period from Sunday, company officials said.
Even after the long holiday period, Toyota plans to cut output for the immediate future, they said.
Nissan Motor Co. intends to suspend production at three plants in China for three days from Thursday, while Mazda Motor Corp. plans to halt production at its factory in Jiangsu Province on Friday and Saturday, officials from both companies said.
Suzuki Motor Corp. has decided to cease nighttime production at its plant in Chongqing from Monday to Friday, company officials said.
A Honda Motor Co. official indicated a wait-and-see attitude for the time being, while a Mitsubishi Motors Corp. source said the firm has no plan to cut output in China.
