Abstract:
What is the purchase behaviour of Chinese consumers with regard to Japanese products and how does it relate to their perception of these products? To which extent is Chinese consumer perception of Japanese products biased due to an unsolved history issue? Do events such as the visits to the Yasukuni shrine or the denials of the atrocities of the Second World War impact upon the perception and purchase behaviour of Chinese consumers with regard to Japanese products? Have events such as the SK-II incident impacted upon their perception and purchase behaviour? Are the Chinese operations of Japanese companies negatively affected by events such as the SK-II crisis due to unsolved issues in Chinese-Japanese relations?
The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse the impact of Chinese-Japanese relations on consumer perception and behaviour under normal circumstances and in the event of a shock to relations, with particular focus placed on Chinese consumer perception of Japanese products.
The impact of selected events on the consumers and enterprises will be showcased through several events in Chinese-Japanese relations that took place between 2005 and 2007; however, the majority of the events analysed are recurring. They were observed in the past, and unless there is a change in the bilateral relations, they are likely to occur in the future. These events are called “shocks” and can be divided into exogenous and endogenous shocks. Exogenous shocks are caused by Japan, mostly by Japanese leaders and / or nationalists, such as visits to the Yasukuni shrine. Endogenous shocks are caused by China, involve Chinese leaders, the government, the regulators, and the media.