Japanese manufacturers suspend operations at plants in quake-hit areas of China

05/13/2008

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Japanese manufacturers have suspended operations at plants and other facilities in China's Sichuan province following the devastating earthquake Monday that has killed thousands in the area.

The companies' buildings escaped serious damage, but they are still confirming safety and reliability of the equipment.

Toyota Motor Corp. has suspended production lines to check for damage at a joint-venture plant in the provincial capital of Chengdu that manufactures small buses and other vehicles, company officials said.

Group company Toyota Boshoku Corp., which produces seats and other interior items for cars, has also suspended operations of its plant in Chengdu.

The plant did not suffer serious damage to its production equipment. However, plant officials are checking whether the equipment operates properly and asking suppliers if they were affected by the earthquake.

Toyota Boshoku plans to resume operations of the plant Wednesday.

Electronics manufacturer Fujitsu Ltd. has decided to suspend operations of its joint-venture company for semiconductor development until Wednesday. The earthquake created cracks in the walls of the company's office building in Chengdu.

A Japanese employee, who had been sent to the company, was found safe after the quake. But one of the 40 Chinese employees there suffered slight injuries.

Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., which operates two plants in Chengdu, has also suspended operations to check production equipment, company officials said, adding that they have not decided when operations will resume.

Supermarket chain operator Ito-Yokado Co., which has three outlets in Chengdu, resumed operations after confirming the safety of elevators, escalators and other equipment, company officials said.

Those outlets are receiving many inquiries from customers about whether water and vegetables are still available, they said.

Suzuki Motor Corp., a manufacturer of motorcycles and cars, temporarily suspended operations of its auto plant in Chongqing, a city close to Sichuan province, immediately after the earthquake.

On Tuesday, the plant was operating as usual.

Operations were also normal Tuesday at an outlet in Chengdu of major department store operator Isetan Co., as well as factories in Chongqing of other Japanese vehicle manufacturers, such as Mazda Motor Corp. and Isuzu Motors Ltd.(IHT/Asahi: May 13,2008)