China's ceramics industry flourishes, expands global presence

China is a major ceramics producer, ranking first globally in both annual output and exports of ceramics.

Reliable data shows China exported 15.48 million tonnes of ceramics products in the first 10 months of 2023. The output of the country's industrial ceramics is worth more than 150 billion yuan ($21 billion).

China's ceramics industry is experiencing an accelerated pace in upgrading, and brimming with new vitality.

"This is a 3D-printed ceramic flower pot," said Huang Quande, head of intelligent manufacturing at Tongxin Ceramics Co., Ltd. in Dehua, a county known for the production of white porcelain in southeast China's Fujian Province.

Since 2016, the company has been undergoing industrial upgrading, introducing eight sintering kilns, 20 automatic glazing production lines, multiple ceramic 3D printers, and other equipment. The company's plant has become cleaner with increased production capacity. Take one of the manufacturing processes as an example. One worker now finishes the workload previously done by 16 workers.

Photo shows "self-sterilizing" ceramics products produced by Chongqing Kingway Ceramics Co., Ltd. in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Photo courtesy of Chongqing Kingway Ceramics Co., Ltd.)

In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Chongqing Kingway Ceramics Co., Ltd. has developed "self-sterilizing" ceramics that can effectively inhibit bacteria adhering to them after more than 1,000 experiments in three years. The "self-sterilizing" technology's inhibition rate against helicobacter pylori reaches 87.65 percent, while that against five other bacteria, including escherichia coli and salmonella, exceeds 95 percent.

"Our ceramic plates still exhibit a significant sterilization effect after 500 destructive acidic corrosion tests, which are equivalent to over 100,000 rinses with clear water for household use," said Zhang Jiyi, chairman of the company.

Xinhua county in central China's Hunan Province is known as a hub of advanced ceramics in the country. Advanced ceramics have been widely applied in areas like machinery, fiber optics, the military, and aerospace.

Employees make spare parts of advanced ceramics at Hunan Meicheng Ceramic Technology Co., Ltd. in Xinhua county, central China's Hunan Province. (Photo courtesy of Hunan Meicheng Ceramic Technology Co., Ltd.)

Hunan Meicheng Ceramic Technology Co., Ltd. and Xinxing Electronic Ceramics Co., Ltd. in the county are the two national-level "little giant" firms, which refer to novel and elite small and medium-sized enterprises that specialize in a niche market, boast of cutting-edge technologies, and show great potential.

The annual output of the county's electronic ceramics is worth 17 billion yuan, and annual exports remain steady at over $40 million.

Innovation provides an impetus to the thriving development of China's ceramics industry.

For instance, Xinxing Electronic Ceramics Co., Ltd. only produced ceramic gas discharge tubes at first, and was on the verge of bankruptcy as the products were banned. It then developed a new technology to produce ceramic thermostats, with the technology giving it an advantage over its Japanese counterparts.

"In addition to thermostats, we also produce metalized ceramic substrates, ceramic discs for sanitary fittings, and quartz crystal resonators, with more diversified product categories," said the company's chairman, Cao Jianping.

Photo shows the automated production lines of Xinxing Electronic Ceramics Co., Ltd. in Xinhua county, central China's Hunan Province. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Wu Xuecong)

Tongxin Ceramics Co., Ltd. has promoted digital transformation since 2021, cutting its production cycle from 45 days to less than 30 days, according to Huang.

Chinese ceramics enterprises have explored different ways to enhance brand awareness and expand their global presence.

"Xinxing Electronic Ceramics Co., Ltd. is the first ceramics enterprise to go global in Xinhua county," said Cao, adding that the company attended an international exhibition for the first time in 1998.

Now, the company is a regular exhibitor at international exhibitions, including the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, and Electronica Munich. Export orders account for 20 percent of the company's business, with advanced ceramics exported to the United States, Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and other places.

While designing ceramics, Tongxin Ceramics Co., Ltd. pays more attention to integrating local culture and lifestyles, and sends designers abroad to study flower and household markets. Today, its ceramic flower pots are sold in over 30 countries and regions.