Posted on 08/15/2013 8:09:38 PM PDT by TexGrill
Japanese exports to China in the first half of this year decreased to the lowest level in four years amid strained ties between the top two economies in Asia as well as China's economic slowdown.
Despite the depreciation of the yen against the Chinese yuan, Japan's exports to the Chinese mainland declined 16.7 percent year-on-year to $61.43 billion in the January-June period. In the same period, the United States replaced the Chinese mainland as Japan's biggest export market, the first time in five years, with exports valued at $65.56 billion, according to the Japan External Trade Organization.
"Japan's decreasing exports to China mainly came from weak demand in China, which was caused by deteriorated bilateral ties as well as slower economic growth in China," said Li Xiangyang, director of the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
After the "purchase" of part of China's Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea in September, Japan's ties with China soured, which took a toll on the sales of Japanese brands.
"Japanese exports to China are part of the East Asian production network within which Japanese companies in China are a major force. Sluggish sales of Japanese products in the Chinese market hit Japanese shipments to China," Li said.
Yoichi Maie, director of China research at the Japan External Trade Organization, was quoted as saying on Thursday that easing infrastructure development in China led to Japan's particularly weak exports for construction and mining equipment, which fell 61.6 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, weaker private consumption in China accounted for a 47.7 percent drop in exports of digital cameras and other audiovisual equipment.
(Excerpt) Read more at usa.chinadaily.com.cn ...
Very interesting.
What do you make of it?
....
And if Japan and China go to war in a few years, whose side will South Korea take, do you think?
South Korea may likely support China. A few years ago they nearly went to war against Japan over Dokdo islands. South Koreans were chopping off their fingers and mailing them to Tokyo. There were mass suicides, such as self-immolations. Koreans go into a frenzy about Japan, but talk to them about North Korea and most don’t care.
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