Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that a new survey released by Teikoku Databank, a Japanese data research firm, shows Japanese companies are increasingly scaling back their dependence on China across manufacturing, sales, and tourism. The recent escalation of diplomatic tensions between China and Japan has heightened awareness among Japanese businesses of the risks associated with operating in China.
According to the survey, only 16.2 percent of companies with overseas operations now consider China their most important market, down from 23.8 percent in 2019. Among all respondents, the share viewing China as their top market fell from 25.9 percent to 12.3 percent. The survey gathered responses from 1,908 companies, 59 percent of which employ more than 1,000 people. These findings align with the steady decline in Japan–China trade in recent years.
Data from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) shows that Japan’s exports to China fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, dropping 24 percent compared to 2021. Some Japanese industries and regions have already begun diversifying and expanding into new markets. In Hokkaido, for instance, tourists from mainland China and Hong Kong accounted for 42 percent of arrivals in August 2019 but only 23 percent this August, while South Korean visitors now dominate the region’s tourism demand.
Source: CNA, November 26, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202511060374.aspx