Japanese factories and stores in China reopen after forced closures

Scores of Japanese factories and stores reopened today in China after they were forced to close due to violent protests over Japan's plans to buy disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Chinese plants of electronics makers Canon and Sony, along with Japanese automakers Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda and Suzuki, reopened, according to company officials who spoke to CNN. Also, around 200 of the 7-11 stores in Beijing and Chengdu operated by Seven & I Holdings and convenience stores operated by Lawson Inc reopened.

Toyota Motor Company, though did not reveal whether its China operations had reopened, was quoted as telling CNN that the decision was up to individual plants.

Honda had not yet reopened two plants in the Guangzhou province, even as Panasonic was yet to restart operations in Zhuhai, site of an employee strike, as also Qingdao, where part of its facility was set on fire in the protests last weekend.

Meanwhile, according to trade data released today, Japanese exports fell 5.8 per cent year-on-year in August, with trade to China dropping around 10 per cent. Analysts, however, attributed the fall to a general global demand slowdown for Japanese goods.

The decline underscored the economic significance of China, Japan's largest trading partner, while also highlighting the risk a prolonged dispute posed for Tokyo. The figures were revealed ahead of the widespread calls in China for a boycott of Japanese goods.