German Media: Heatwave Sweeps Across Europe: Everyone Wants Chinese Air Conditioners
China is the world's leading producer of air conditioners. With recent heatwaves hitting Europe, demand for air conditioners has significantly increased, making many Chinese-made units highly sought-after—so much so that they are in short supply across the continent.
Facing Europe’s heatwave, China has already prepared a solution: domestically produced air conditioners.
In a report by China Central Television (CCTV), workers at Bao Shi Refrigeration Electric Appliances Co., Ltd. in Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, are seen assembling air conditioner modules on an assembly line. The report notes that employees are working overtime to meet rising demand.
Shi Chunbo, Financial Director of Bao Shi Company, told CCTV that 70% of the company’s overseas orders come from Europe. “Our products are mainly sold to countries like France, Germany, and Spain. In May this year, our order volume exceeded 900,000 units,” he said.
This figure represents a 20% increase compared to May last year. During the European heatwave, orders for portable air conditioners—those that don’t require permanent installation—have seen particularly sharp growth.
Meanwhile, Europe is debating whether air conditioners are truly necessary: Is it worth installing them just for a few hot days each year? Air conditioners release waste heat, which can exacerbate urban warming. There is also controversy over mounting split-type units on building facades. Additionally, air conditioners consume substantial amounts of electricity.
In China, it is estimated that around 80% of households have air conditioners, and electricity prices are extremely low. As a result, many Chinese people find it difficult to understand Europeans’ ongoing debate about whether or not to install air conditioners.
Chinese official media have used the surge in domestic air conditioner demand as a rebuttal to European political figures’ accusations of “overcapacity.” For instance, the English-language publication *China Daily* explicitly stated online that Chinese air conditioners are not a threat—they are life-saving products during heatwaves.
Brussels Accuses China of “Overcapacity”
For years, European politicians have accused Chinese industry of severe overproduction, driven by excessive subsidies. They argue that cheap Chinese goods are flooding the market. This has severely impacted European manufacturers, whose sales continue to decline—not just in the air conditioning sector but across multiple industries.
Currently, China’s trade surplus with the EU has reached €1 billion per day.
China consistently denies these allegations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, when questioned about air conditioners, stated, “Goods that meet market demand and offer excellent value naturally attract popularity.”
She emphasized that Sino-European trade structure is “a natural outcome driven by market demand and complementary strengths.” In Sino-European trade, consumers benefit from lower prices while suppliers earn profits—“there is no forced buying or selling, but rather mutual selection and shared gains.”
Andreas Mischer, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics) in Berlin, believes that many Chinese enterprises indeed offer high-quality products, but their advantages go beyond product quality. “For example, they can directly access government subsidies; or obtain preferential loans from state-owned banks—conditions European firms clearly cannot enjoy. Moreover, there is the artificially low valuation of the renminbi (RMB).”
A depreciated RMB makes Chinese goods more price-competitive in overseas markets. The expert argues that it is reasonable and appropriate for Europe to identify this issue and consider possible countermeasures.
DW
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1871207370696968/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s).