Japanese automakers vowed Thursday to expand their businesses in China despite slumping sales due to a boycott of Japanese products amid heightened tensions over the Senkaku Islands dispute.
"As we are now in a difficult situation, we would like to operate in China while showing deep respect and interest in the country," Hiroji Onishi, a senior manager at Toyota Motor Corp. who oversees the carmaker's China business, said during the media preview of the 10th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, southern China.
Onishi said Toyota plans to launch 20 new vehicles in the next three years in China, the world's largest auto market, and noted the firm wants to contribute to the growth of the country's car industry through increased technological development, featuring new energy and energy-savings.