Authorities in eastern China say they have fined Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp.'s finance unit for giving bribes to car dealers - a charge the company is disputing.
The accusation comes at a time of rising tensions between China and Japan and amid Toyota ( TM - news - people )'s effort to counter the impact of massive recalls on its sales in China by offering steep discounts and other incentives to potential buyers.
The bribes took the form of rebates meant to encourage dealers to have customers use loans from Toyota, rather than banks, to finance car purchases, Jiang Zhugen, an official at the Jianggan Administration for Industry and Commerce in the eastern city of Hangzhou, said Tuesday.
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