Japanese Firms in China Get Back to Work, Remain Optimistic on Growth

在华日企复工,看好中国增长
Published on: February 11, 2020
Author: Amy Liu

Japanese companies in China are beginning to get back to work in the nation currently being plagued by a deadly new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, with several of the firms seeing the epidemic as merely a temporary setback.

Imaging and electronics firm Ricoh China resumed work on Feb. 10 and is distributing masks to employees, pushing staff to wear the masks, running extended lunch breaks and conducting temperature checks to ensure workers are in good health,  Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.

Its offices in Tianjin, Shenzhen and Guangzhou remain closed and the company is arranging for staff to work from home to help prevent the disease from spreading further, though Chairman Koji Miyao said the epidemic is a short-term issue and China’s economy will continue to grow.

Some of printer maker Canon China’s departments also got back to work on Feb. 10, with the firm offering flexible and remote work arrangements to protect its employees, the report added. Chief Executive Hideki Ozawa said the firm has sent masks and disinfectants to offices to help employees better defend themselves against the virus.

Canon is developing well in China and expects its office, printing, security and medical care businesses to be new growth engines as it continues to expand, Ozawa added, saying the company will further cooperate with its Chinese business partners.

Electrical and electronic equipment maker Mitusbishi Electric has stocked up on masks and other protective products to secure the health of employees, who returned to work on Feb. 10, the report cited Katsuyuki Tomizawa, its China chief, as saying. The firm is encouraging employees to work from home, especially those with children who remain on holiday as schools figure out when to re-open their doors.

The outbreak may negatively affect performance, Tomizawa said, but he is optimistic about development prospects for companies in China. The country advocates high quality development and has issued support policies to encourage consumption and promote green development and supply-side structural reforms, he added.

Source: Yicai Global

COVID-19 Technology