Mr Toyoda visit to Beijing was following his high-profile appearance before angry US lawmakers last month.

His visit to China reflects great importance the giant Toyota attaches to the market there.

"I'd like to express my sincere apologies to Chinese customers for the impact and the worries this incident caused," he said.

Toyota's hold a small share of the Chinese car market in comparision most of its rivals, with about 5 percent of the country's total auto sales.

It has recalled just over 75,000 vehicles here because of concerns over faulty accelerators, a tiny fraction of the 8.5 million recalls worldwide.

Analysts agree the visit is an effort to shore up consumer confidence in the Toyota brand.

The company's sales here have held steady in recent weeks.