Japan to pay firms to produce goods locally or in Southeast Asia, in shift from China

The government of Japan will start subsidising some companies to invest in local factories and those in Southeast Asia as part of efforts to reduce reliance on manufacturing in China.Fifty-seven firms, including privately-held face mask-maker Iris Ohyama and Sharp, will receive a total of 57.4 billion yen (US$536 million) in subsidies from the government to invest in production in Japan, said the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on Friday.Another 30 firms will receive money for…