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Japanese Automakers Prepare For Abe 'Shrine Visit' Blowback
Japanese automakers may have regained some of their lost ground in China, though the recovery has come at a cost as they sacrifice profit for volume, but Abe's shrine visit may spark a repeat of last year when consumers boycotted Japanese cars, and thousands of Japanese cars were vandalized and businesses attacked by mobs (after the Senkaku debacle began). “The Japanese government is always making trouble," notes on potential Chinese car buyer, adding, "there are so many other choices, so why them? I know most of them are made in China now, but why help them make money?" In Shanghai, the Japanese consulate urged its nationals to be cautious as there’s a risk of worsening sentiment given the “strong anti-Japanese” tone in Chinese media reports.
Japanese automakers are bracing for a potential consumer backlash should tensions with China escalate after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a shrine memorializing war-dead on Chairman Mao Zedong’s birthday.
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Nissan Motor Co. said it was “closely monitoring” developments in Japan-China ties after Abe’s visit. The appearance at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, which honors the war-dead including 14 World War II leaders convicted as Class-A war criminals, drew a condemnation from China. Shares of Japan’s three biggest automakers rose today in Tokyo trading.
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Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) and Honda Motor Co. reported their first annual sales declines in China last year after the Japanese government purchased a group of disputed islands from their private owner, sparking nationwide protests and a consumer backlash. Today’s visit by Abe coincides with the 120th birthday of Mao, with Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping honoring the founder of the communist state.
“We’re still at a stage where we need to carefully monitor the impact, but it’s obvious that this only has a negative impact on Japan,”
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“They chose today to visit the shrine, which makes it even harder for Chinese people to accept,” said Cui Dongshu, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai-based Passenger Car Association. “The signal they are sending is very dangerous. It will deter some buyers as they may worry about the safety issue of their car and even themselves if the political environment worsens.”
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At the height of last year’s demonstrations, hundreds of riot police watched over groups of protesters as they gathered outside the Japanese consulate chanting, “down with Japan devils, boycott Japanese goods, give back Diaoyu,” using the Chinese name for the group of islands in the East China Sea.
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Thousands of Japanese cars were vandalized and businesses attacked by mobs in last year’s demonstrations.
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Two dealerships selling Toyota and Honda vehicles in Qingdao in eastern China were set on fire by anti-Japanese protesters last year, while many owners of Japanese-brand cars pasted Chinese flags or patriotic slogans on their vehicles in the hope of avoiding being attacked.
And a brief reminder of what happened last time...
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Broken car window fallacy
Please do not worry
A Krugman hard on!
Goddamned barbarians!
Looks great on the Japanese. The Japanese have a rich history of war crimes as the Chinese, and Koreans know all too well. Abe's roots have always been firmly planted in hardcore Japanese Nationalism andit was suggested when he took office this time around that he was going to ramp things up in that regard. In addition to the plague of toyota, honda et al, Japan has furnished us with the prospects of the world or at least part of it becoming ( or getting worse) a radioactive wasteland, and illegal whaling / overfishing. Sure it's no war on terror, but I'm all for them getting their ass handed to them.
Japan had jumped the shark, and the west sadly is on waterskis approaching the ramp. I don't expect things to fizzle out though.
But Nazi cars good!
Yes they are. Very good compared to the shit American manufacturers produce.
You are a dumbass stuck in the 1970's. Wake up. Its nearly 2014.
These cross circuited DNA species would fit in at a black Friday Walmart store opening. Different skin color, same DNA makeup. Think about it!
Happy Honda Days in Beijing!
I wonder what the headline would be in the US would be if a group of Americans were soliciting to boycott China made goods, explicitly NOT allow Chinese into hotel and then burn/smash buildings owned by Chinese?
The whole world would be reading it as...."radical throngs of right winged, racist white people converege ......blah blah blah"
Sounds like a plan! When and where do we start!?
Ironically, The Dollar Store...
False analogy:
Think of Cuba or Iran for boycotting and demonstrations by the USA,
even though those nations never invaded the USA and killed millions.
Why don't we ask the native Americans...
stop breaking down my shitty wall
Thank you for flying Shitty Airlines. We know you have a choice, and it looks like you made the wrong one.
raff out roud
These are such normal times we live in, aren't they!! I am going to call my broker and buy some stawks!
Of course, in the USA, militarism has so taken hold that
no matter what war crimes are committed,
ALL soldiers, err "warriors", are to be honored,
and excused, from the top commander-leaders on down.
So, for many, the reaction is "why all the fuss?"
Besides, the US government is backing and strongly supports Japanese re-militarization. What could go wrong?
Don't answer the door if you hear knocking.
I think Japan better plan on losing China as a market in the Future.....I think China wants that too...
Abe has a method to his madness. Not unlike Clinton bombing an aspirin factory in Sudan when the Monica Lewinsky investigation was warming up. "Wag the dog," as they say in Hollywood.
Abe needs to create lots of distractions to keep Fukushima off the front page. Recent radiation levels at Fukushima were 100 million times normal background levels and enough to kill a person in under an hour. And Japan recently passed a secrecy law, probably to cover up Fukushima:
Japan’s Parliament Approves a Secrecy Law Amid Protests
December 6, 2013
In an unusual late-night session with protesters chanting outside, Parliament passed a secrecy law on Friday that the prime minister said would strengthen national security but opponents warned would stifle democracy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/07/world/asia/japans-parliament-approves-a-secrecy-law-amid-protests.html?_r=0
Japan’s Parliament Approves a Secrecy Law Amid Protests
“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.”
The traditional "Japan, Inc" (the post-war merchantilists, the guys who want to sell cars in China) is no longer in charge of the Japanese government. Abe is backed by another group whose roots go back to pre-war imperialism.
What's that old Toyota slogan?
"You asked for it you got it Roto Rootered..."
Blowback.
Ironee: Chinese buy the rice burners and the Jews buy the Kraut mobiles.
Lest we forget......ostensibly we did.
A limited Falklands type skirmish would be great for all. Conspiracy lunatics would orgasm, nationalists would orgasm, antiwar crowd would orgasm... Just imagine the collective global orgasm. Obviously the elites are now so connected that everything can be solved behind the scenes. But I'm sure they realize the world craves distraction more than anything right now and Hollywood just isn't cutting it anymore.
maybe Abe went for advice as opposed to making a report of the past years activity...
they passed or are in the process of passing legislation to expand the Japanese military from SDF to full on war machine with global strike capabilities. expenditures on the military have already seen a significant boost over the past half decade or so, in essence they are already well into the process of re-militarizing.
Japan is preparing to go to war, along with pretty much every one else, the Russians, the Chinese, the US, Europe, ect.
look at the global chess board, while all these governments babble on about diplomatic solutions actions speak much louder words and in this case the actions are very clear. the stand off is worldwide, with opposing militarizes face to face in every hot spot and flashpoint on earth.
once again unto the brink we go. only this time we all know how this ends, with conventional victory for any side all but unattainable...
it seems to me that after the cold war ended and the concept of MAD disappeared from our lexicon replaced by TBTF and the like, consigned to the pages of history people forgot the most important part.
the weapons still remained and it goes without saying that as long as they do, it's only a matter of time.