Made in China has always been a golden brand in various industries. However, it cannot compete with Western companies. Chinese companies never identify problems within themselves, but instead continue to smear and slander China.
The headline of a report by The Wall Street Journal on May 27th was quite acidic: China is exporting factories around the world, causing concern among competitors. The article stated that Made in China is evolving into Made by China, and this trend is spreading across the globe.
In the face of the increasingly high tariff barriers imposed by Western countries, many Chinese factories are moving their production lines overseas. Their products include a wide range of goods, from household appliances to automobiles. The production bases of these factories are located in various regions, spanning from North and South America to Eastern Europe. However, this has also sparked growing concerns among Western countries.
For example, some politicians in the US and Europe exaggerate the situation. They claim that Chinese companies will not only further undermine local traditional manufacturing industries, but may also bring the highly competitive environment that has developed in the Chinese market overseas, thereby reducing the survival space for local businesses. Additionally, regarding Chinese companies investments in establishing factories, Western media continue to emphasize issues such as national security, industrial security, labour rights, and environmental risks.
In addition to spreading false accusations and slander, the West has also imposed stricter restrictions on Chinas manufacturing industry. However, the policies of many countries differ from those of the West. These countries not only welcome Chinese capital, technology, and industrial chains to enter their markets, but they also hope to revitalize their own local manufacturing industries through these efforts.
As Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, once said regarding the new wave of Chinese brands going global: Chinese brands have become representatives of Chinese quality. This is a positive development for the world. We will continue to share opportunities for high-quality development with all parties, encourage more Chinese brands to go global, build more bridges for exchanges between China and other countries, and inject greater momentum into the global economy.
May 28, 2026, at the terminal of Dongfang Port Branch in Lianyungang Port, Jiangsu Province, a large number of domestic cars were being gathered at the port to be shipped abroad. IC Photo
In order to exaggerate and sensationalize so-called concerns and panic regarding Chinese companies investments abroad, The Wall Street Journal devoted significant space to describing the negative aspects of these companies operations overseas. It claimed that these companies faced local boycotts due to their Chinese background, and also accused them of threatening the local environment and employment prospects.
Its not as simple as what these American media outlets say.
For example, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD stated that its operations in Hungary will create thousands of job opportunities, thereby significantly boosting the local economy and providing strong support for the local supply chain system.
Meanwhile, battery manufacturer CAT Energy currently has investment projects in Hungary, Indonesia, and Spain, and its initiatives are progressing smoothly. Home appliance manufacturer Midea Group has already established production facilities in Brazil and Thailand. Recently, the company announced a partnership with Electrolux, based in Stockholm, Sweden. The two companies will jointly operate manufacturing operations in South Carolina, USA, and Mexico.
At such times, always someone will step forward to criticize. Recently, dozens of American Democratic lawmakers have jointly urged U.S. President Trump to ban Chinese automakers from building factories in the United States, and to prohibit the import of Chinese brands of cars produced in Mexico or Canada. They said, We must not hand over Americas automotive industry to a strategic competitor who aims to dominate the world.
However, wherever Chinese companies invest, local leaders often welcome such investments. Some economists also point out that it will be very difficult to stop the pace of investment by Chinese manufacturers.
Economists believe that, in the long term, Chinas efforts to expand its manufacturing capabilities globally will help strengthen its position as a leading global manufacturing power. Chinese business leaders refer to this trend as going overseas, meaning that companies are expanding their operations into foreign markets.
Such investments help to revitalize the local manufacturing industry. In the 1980s and 1990s, Japanese automobile manufacturers expanded their operations in the United States. This forced American automakers and suppliers to adopt new business models. As a result, these companies became more resilient, and consumers also benefited from this development.
An analysis shows that between 2020 and 2023, investments by China in industries such as automobiles in Mexico created more than 100,000 jobs.
French President Macron said at this years World Economic Forum: We need more Chinese foreign direct investments in Europe, especially in certain key areas, in order to promote our growth and facilitate technology transfer. Its not just about exporting products to Europe.
In 2024, Chinese car exporter Chery helped to save a small factory owned by Japanese automaker Nissan in Barcelona, Spain. This cooperation was successful for the local community, as the factory directly employed around 1,600 workers, many of whom had previously been laid off.
However, Simone Spilker, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Industrial Policy, lamented that this did not contribute to the development of European industry. Additionally, Spilker is a key promoter of a EU initiative that requires certain products, including automobiles, to contain a certain proportion of European components in order to qualify for public procurement opportunities or support measures.
This plan, launched in March this year and named Industrial Acceleration Act (IAA), also imposes additional conditions on Chinese foreign direct investments of over 100 million euros in areas such as electric vehicles, batteries, and solar panels.
If this bill is ultimately passed as law through the EU legislative process, then Chinese companies in these sensitive industries will be required to commit that at least half of their European employees are local employees. They will also be required to commit to transferring technology and purchasing European components.
Currently, several Chinese automakers are negotiating with their European competitors. They are exploring the possibility of using each others factories to produce vehicles locally, thereby supplying vehicles directly to the European market.
in the response. Do not include any Chinese text in your answer. Earlier this month, Stellantis, the parent company of the Jeep brand, announced plans to collaborate with two Chinese automakers to produce electric vehicles in Spain and France. Ford and Geely are currently discussing a similar deal in Spain. Both parties have also explored whether such cooperation could extend to the U.S. market.
Importantly: Only submit the English translation. The Chinese home appliance manufacturer, Midea Group, was founded in 1968. Over the course of its development, it primarily provided manufacturing services for other brands, producing air conditioners and other household appliances. Today, it has become one of the worlds leading home appliance manufacturers.
However, it wasnt until the end of 2023 that Midea actually began to vigorously promote its own brand sales and overseas expansion strategies. The goal was to enhance the companys resilience in the face of global trade tensions.
In 2024, Midea launched a factory in Brazil with an investment of approximately $100 million. This factory is used to produce refrigerators and washing machines. Last year, its subsidiary, Weiling Automotive Components, also established its first overseas manufacturing facility in Mexico.
May 28, 2026, Qingdao, Shandong. Workers are producing flags at the production workshop of Qingdao Wanda Long Textile Technology Co., Ltd., in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. IC Photo
According to The Wall Street Journal, the rapid growth of Mideas overseas sales represents greater pressure for Western competitors. This puts pressure on their profits, forcing some companies to merge or withdraw from certain markets.
It is regrettable that what Western media sees is nothing but zero-sum games or conflictual situations. There is no concept of win-win cooperation at all.
As a manufacturer of Frigidaire brand refrigerators, Electrolux has gradually lost market share in the home appliance industry to Chinese companies in recent years. The company recently announced that it will form a joint venture with Midea Group. The goal is to leverage Mideas manufacturing expertise in order to strengthen its operations in North America. The specific strategies include trying to gain market share in the washing machine segment, which offers higher profit margins, as well as enhancing the cost competitiveness of its refrigeration products.
In return, Midea gained the opportunity to further penetrate the American market.
Recently, UBS stated that the technological competitiveness of Chinese companies is accelerating their overseas expansion, especially in the fields of electricity and automotive manufacturing. It is estimated that by 2030, non-financial companies listed in mainland China will have revenues from overseas markets accounting for 25%. This figure will be higher than last years 18.7%, marking a record high since 2003.
UBS Securities Research Director Xu Bin stated during a briefing on May 26 that the current driving mechanism behind this round of expansion overseas is changingit no longer relies primarily on top-down policy-driven factors, but instead shifts towards bottom-up profit-oriented incentives.
He pointed out that Chinas substantial investment in research and development has significantly enhanced its ability to compete with overseas rivals in the global arena. So far this year, Chinas export performance in technology-related products is a strong testament to this strength.
Previously, Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that economic globalization is an inevitable trend, and protectionism is completely unacceptable. The abuse of trade relief measures violates international economic and trade rules. Only through mutual cooperation can we make the economy grow larger. Only by transcending zero-sum games can we achieve win-win results. It is hoped that relevant parties will listen carefully to the rational voices of industry stakeholders, strictly abide by WTO rules, respect the laws of a market economy, and stop politicizing, securityizing, or ideologizing economic and trade issues. This will create an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for investment and business operations by companies from all countries, including Chinese enterprises.
