Toyota's China sales improve in December

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.Tokyo) recorded a slower fall in China sales in December, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed senior executive. The company sold approximately 90,000 cars in the country in December, down about 17% year-on-year. The improvement contrasted sharply with a 50% fall in September, as well as 44% and 22% falls in October and November. The faster-than-expected recovery came after the company introduced sales incentives including discounts in December, attracting more consumers into dealer showrooms, the executive said. It indicated that Chinese consumers were “not as fearful of buying and driving Japanese cars as before,” the Toyota executive said. Sales of Japanese vehicles and other brands were affected after Japan purchased two disputed islands in the South China Sea, triggering a fresh wave of anti-Japanese sentiment in China.