The territorial dispute between China and Japan is already taking a toll on diplomatic relations, as well businesses and economic trade, but now Chinese people’s lives could potentially be put in great risk, as hospitals in Beijing have begun boycotting Japanese-made pharmaceutical drugs. Japan’s Kyodo news heard from several domestic business sources who say several hospitals have returned their medicines to the Japanese distribution companies located in China. This proves to be an example that while the sometimes violent protests have subsided, anti-Japanese sentiment is still at an all-time high.
Not just limited to Beijing, the boycott of Japanese-made drugs is also spreading, as now hospitals in Tianjin City, Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan Province are also participating. Roughly 30 hospitals are said to have either returned Japanese medical products, or decided not to renew contracts that would see the purchase of more. The root of the problem continues to be the uninhabited Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and the arguments over which country has the rightful ownership of the territory.
While the foreign ministers of both countries met at the U.N. General Assembly summit in New York this week, the atmosphere was described as severe, and no progress was made toward a resolution. The far-reaching impact of the territorial row is affecting the Japanese auto industry, as manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are all bracing for significant declines in sales numbers from China, which serves as the world’s fastest growing car market. The transportation and tourism industries are also feeling the heat; Japan’s two largest airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, have seen tens of thousands of seat cancellations for the coming weeks on flights between Japan and China.
[via Epoch Times]