From phones to EVs, high quality and innovation continue to win customers

 

As the perception of Chinese products has evolved over the past few decades, products made in China are increasingly recognized for their high quality and innovation, according to experts across various sectors.

 

"Thirty years ago, Chinese products were often perceived as low cost and low quality. This perception was partly due to the early stages of China's manufacturing capabilities, where the focus was primarily on producing goods at the lowest possible cost," Jack Perry Jr, CEO of the London Export Corporation and chairman of the 48 Group Club, said.

 

"However, over the years, this perception has dramatically changed. Chinese manufacturers have invested heavily in technology, innovation and quality control."

 

Earlier this year, Perry explored business opportunities in six Chinese provinces, including Guangdong, Shandong and Anhui, for the 48 Group Club, a consortium of British business leaders engaged in economic cooperation between China and the United Kingdom.

 

"Chinese electronics, such as smartphones and smart home devices, are already making significant inroads (into the UK market) due to their cutting-edge technology and competitive pricing," Perry said." Electric vehicles from China, known for their advanced features and affordability, are also likely to gain popularity as the UK shifts toward greener transportation options."

 

Over the past 10 years, the London Electric Vehicle Company, a subsidiary of Chinese carmaker Geely, has converted London's iconic black cabs into electric-powered vehicles built in its UK factory in Coventry, which received warm welcome and support from the local government and London taxi drivers.

 

In addition, Chinese EV manufacturer BYD converted about 2,000 iconic red double-decker buses running on London's roads to electric power. Last year, BYD opened its first showroom in London for its sedan cars, and opened its third London outlet in June.

 

William Adlington, founder of social media company Mooneye Media, said many people are unaware that they are buying Chinese products if they do not look carefully.

 

Higher specification

 

"A lot of the electronics are made in China, and things like computers, phones and other electronic equipment ... are of high quality and built to a higher specification now," he said.

 

According to a report of the European smartphone market in the first quarter of this year by technology market analyst firm Canalys, Chinese smartphone brands - namely Xiaomi, Motorola owned by Lenovo, and Honor - claimed the third to fifth spots, taking 16 percent, 6 percent and 3 percent market shares, after Samsung and Apple.

 

At an Invest Shanghai conference in London on June 13, Rick Chandler, chair of the Communications Management Association in the UK, said he likes the way the Chinese industry is specialized regionally, and how certain regions are known for certain goods.

 

"The quality of manufacturing in China is world-leading, which is why most of the world's manufacturers have gone to China. It's not about the price of the labor anymore, it's the quality of the manufacture, which China has invested heavily in," said Chandler, who has been visiting China for various business projects since the 1980s.

 

"I had the experience of going on a high-speed train in China at 250 kilometers per hour, where I can put a coin on the edge and it doesn't fall over. Our HS2 project (UK's high-speed railway) should have endorsed Chinese manufacturers and built to that standard. I'm now working with companies that are looking to set up UK manufacturing factories funded by China, to make products in the UK to Chinese standards."

 

Nick Dutton, a senior engineer, said he first went to China in the early 2000s when he was working with a US company to produce equipment to be used in China.

 

"In those days, China didn't have the technology for the power conversion products, and now China can make the products to the same level of quality with their own technology," he said.

 

However, one of the problems that Chinese companies face when entering the UK market is that they lack good marketing strategies, which fail to resonate with local consumers, said Tanvir Zaman, a business consultant based in London.

 

"I think the Chinese products ... are very good," Zaman said. "But I believe Chinese companies that reach out to the Western market, along with collaborating with their partners, should adopt marketing skills and techniques to claim a larger market share more aggressively."