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Nikkei has released a new survey of 100 Japanese CEOs, showing that when asked about the impact of the worsening Japan-China bilateral ties on businesses, 67.3 percent of respondents said "negative" or "somewhat negative," while 85.6 percent of them indicated that they would not reconsider their China strategies.  

A Chinese expert said that the report reflected growing concerns among Japanese businesses over the negative impact of deterioration in bilateral ties caused by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan.

According to Nikkei, the survey was conducted from December 2 to 22, targeting presidents of major Japanese enterprises, with responses received from 141 companies.

The survey included topics such as the Japanese government's consideration of relaxing working-hour regulations, expectations for the Takaichi administration, the government's fiscal policy, and Japan-China economic and trade relations.

Following Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan, there has been a strong backlash from the Chinese side, and Japanese business leaders are attempting to respond calmly, according to Nikkei.

When asked about the impact of deteriorating Japan-China relations on their operations, 67.3 percent of the executives said that the impact is "negative" or "somewhat negative," yet 85.6 percent indicated that they "would not reconsider" their China strategies, the survey showed.

"The inclusion of China-Japan economic and trade relations in the survey itself underscores its emphasis on the importance of bilateral economic ties. The results show that the majority of respondents still maintain a stable strategy toward the Chinese market," Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.

Xiang said that the survey also showed that businesses are increasingly concerned about the impact on cooperation, which is vulnerable to changes in overall bilateral relations. 

The survey also showed that 18.9 percent of respondents said that they would "reconsider" or "consider reconsidering" business trips to China for their employees. One major manufacturing company said that it would "temporarily prohibit business travel" except in urgent cases. 

Shimizu Corp President Tatsuya Niimura said that the company primarily provides construction services to Japanese companies in China, so if Japanese firms' willingness to invest in equipment declines, it is concerned that the company's sales in China will also fall.

"This latest downturn in China-Japan relations was caused by Takaichi's erroneous remarks on China's Taiwan, eroding fundamental mutual trust on political and security issues and, consequently, dampening confidence in bilateral economic and trade cooperation," Xiang said. "Economic engagement and investment require a favorable political climate and predictable outlook. Takaichi's erroneous remarks have severely strained bilateral ties, inevitably weakening the momentum and assurance for trade and business interactions between the two countries."

Japanese businesses have also tried proactively to engage with the Chinese market. Kyodo News reported that Chairman of Japan-China Economic Association Kosei Shindo met with Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao in Tokyo on December 18, during which Shindo asked the Chinese side to accept a previously planned economic delegation visit to Beijing in January 2026, while emphasizing the importance of continuing to develop economic exchanges between the two countries.

The planned visit is set to be jointly organized with the Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It has been reported that the delegation's scheduled visit to Beijing is planned to be hosted by the Japan-China Economic Association and is scheduled for January 20-23, 2026.

The Kyodo News report claimed that with only one month remaining before the visit, China has yet to provide a clear response, and there are growing concerns about the possibility of postponement or cancellation.

On December 2, when asked whether China will arrange the visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that he had noted relevant reports and also found that many visionary people in Japan are deeply concerned over the negative influence and grave consequences of Takaichi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan. 

"The Chinese side urges the Japanese side to do soul-searching, rectify its wrongdoings, retract Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks, stop harming the sentiments of the two peoples, take practical steps to honor its political commitments to China, and create necessary conditions for the normal exchanges between the two countries. We hope relevant Japanese organizations will play a more positive role in Japan," Lin said.