Vandalising dealerships regrettable: Toyota CEO

President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corp. Akio Toyoda said Thursday it is regrettable that some dealerships in China affiliated with Japanese carmakers have been adversely affected amid recent anti-Japan protests.

Toyoda, also chief of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said at a press conference that "Japanese carmakers have been growing their businesses by building vehicles suited to Chinese road conditions and working together with their Chinese employees and friends."

But no harm has been reported on staff working for Japanese automakers in China and the companies are reopening their plants and offices while prioritizing safety, he added.

The Japan-China Economic Association said the same day it is considering significantly cutting down the delegation it is sending to China from next Tuesday to just 20 businesspeople, from an initially planned 175, because the Chinese host has voiced its concern over the safety of a large group of Japanese visitors.

Hiromasa Yonekura, head of Japan Business Federation, the country's most influential business lobby, has said he wants to visit China at an early date to help improve bilateral relations.

Bilateral ties between the two neighbors have been strained following Japan's "nationalization" of parts of the Diaoyu Islands, sparking mass protests in many Chinese cities.