Chinese consumers have more faith in domestically-made goods: survey

A survey of 2,012 Chinese consumers has found that 84.1 percent of them believe the country’s manufacturing sector will have a brighter prospect, China Youth Daily reported on Dec. 5.

Chinese products strike a balance between quality and affordability, said a university student in Beijing. Products including agricultural products, textiles, and ceramics also have good reputation overseas.

More than 80 percent of the surveyed laud the quality of domestically-made products. A university student said she has replaced her foreign smartphone with a homemade one.

“Their software, screens, cameras, and other functions are just as good as foreign brands, and they aren’t as expensive,” the student explained about Chinese-made smartphones.

The survey found that clothing, followed by daily commodities, shoes and hats, bags and suitcases, and other products are most important.

China’s manufacturing sector has progressed rapidly, said Jia Jinjing, an expert from the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.

Ten years ago, the total value of the manufacturing industry accounted for 60 percent of that of the US. Now the percentage has reached 180 percent. The value produced in China has surpassed the total of the US and Japan combined, Jia said.

In addition, the industry has made noticeable achievements in producing medium- and high-end goods; for instance, in the engineering and construction sectors, the expert added.

Nearly 50 percent said the low level of core competitiveness and intellectual property protection has restricted the globalization of made-in-China goods.

The lack of competitiveness of Chinese products in the global market is due to inadequate research on target customers, some respondents said.

The Chinese products need to be developed and produced with a better sense of brand, copyrights, and cultural connotation, some respondents suggested.

The gap with famous international brands can be narrowed by improving quality and design, promoting brand awareness, and enhancing innovation.