【By Guo Jian, Observer News】"Drones, televisions, robots... a wave of Chinese technology products is sweeping across Europe."
A commentary article published by the renowned French weekly magazine L'Express on November 3 highlights the shock that the rapid rise of Chinese technology products has brought to the European market.
The author points out that China is continuously innovating and launching various high-tech products at highly competitive prices, capturing market share in multiple niche markets and even becoming a leader. Chinese enterprises have transformed from "the world's factory" into technology-driven powerhouses. At the same time, Europe, due to weak internal consumption and insufficient industrial policies, appears overwhelmed by the wave of Chinese technology products and may need to trade its market for Chinese technology in the future.
In 2016, when Paolo Falcioni first attended the China Home Appliances and Consumer Electronics Expo in Shanghai, this consumer electronics exhibition, which was founded in 1992, was still in its early stages. There were few exhibitors and only occupied one hall.
But in March this year, as the general secretary of APPLiA, the main association of European home appliance manufacturers, Falcioni once again visited this super city in China, and the scene had changed dramatically. The exhibition is now regarded by industry experts as one of the most important electronic exhibitions in the world, ranking alongside the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and the International Consumer Electronics Show (IFA) in Berlin, occupying a total of 16 halls filled with vibrant Chinese brands.
Shanghai, March 22, 2025, China Home Appliances and Consumer Electronics Expo. IC Photo
"This fully demonstrates that over the past decade, interconnectivity, artificial intelligence, and related fields have become engines of economic growth in China," said Falcioni in awe.
The article states that China has long shed the label of "the world's factory." Now, Chinese enterprises are innovating at an astonishing speed, launching high-tech products at highly competitive prices. More notably, they also have a complete marketing strategy.
"Until not long ago, few people knew about Chinese brands," said Vincent Redrado, founder of the strategic and operational consulting company DNG, recalling, "In the past, Chinese factories mainly produced for European companies, which then sold them under their own brand."
Now, these production bases play a dual role: continuing to manufacture products for others while also developing their own product lines.
"The entire industrial ecosystem is highly concentrated geographically, especially in Shenzhen. The close integration of research, manufacturing, and investment brings about an incredible response speed," said Stéphane Bohbot, founder of Innov8 Group, a French consumer electronics distribution company. This group discovers new electronic products from China every month and recommends them to major French retailers such as Fnac-Darty and Boulanger.
In Europe, Chinese brands are sweeping through various niche markets. Whether in physical stores or e-commerce platforms, the surging offensive of Chinese high-tech products can be seen everywhere.
François Chimits, head of the European project at the Montaigne Institute, stated that Chinese industrial investment is active and capacity is huge, exceeding domestic market absorption capacity, and companies are turning their eyes toward the international market.
From DJI's drones, TCL's televisions, Yuque Technology's humanoid robots, and Shaoyin's earphones, almost every niche market has Chinese enterprises seizing market share, even taking the top spot.
"In the television sector, TCL has posed a serious challenge to Japanese brands. In the refrigerator or washing machine sectors, some of their products can compete with European brands. This is also true for air conditioners and small appliances," said Jean-Charles Vogley, secretary-general of the French Association of Domestic and Household Equipment Traders.
March 21, Shanghai, AWE China Home Appliances and Consumer Electronics Expo. Visual China
The former action camera giant GoPro is gradually being pushed back by the Chinese brand Insta360. In Spain, Cecotec dominates the coffee maker sales market. Rocker Technology, established ten years ago, has become a benchmark in the robotic vacuum cleaner industry and continues to apply for patents.
"What impresses me is the remarkable progress these companies have made in all areas," said a former head of a French industry association, "except for the industrial robot sector, they have taken the lead in almost all industries."
The tech giant Xiaomi, which focuses on smartphones and consumer electronics and has recently entered the electric vehicle sector, has paved the way for these Chinese enterprises.
"Xiaomi's development journey proves that Chinese enterprises have the potential to establish themselves in overseas markets. After that, a complete industrial system gradually formed, giving birth to countless new players," said Stéphane Bohbot.
Facing this wave, Europe's response seems inadequate.
"We cannot fool ourselves: after the energy crisis, Europe is in a big dilemma," said François Chimits. "Despite the Draghi report, we are still far from implementing strong policies that truly support local industries."
As for the future, the article suggests that it may lie in establishing a new type of cooperation with China: similar to Airbus 20 years ago, exchanging market access for technology transfer.
Only this time, the direction is reversed.
It is worth noting that the EU has long been trying to get Chinese enterprises to exchange technology for the market. In February this year, a study in Europe suggested that Europe might need to require Chinese battery manufacturers to transfer technology in order to obtain state aid, otherwise Europe may become an assembly plant for Chinese battery manufacturers.
Last month, a Bloomberg report revealed that the EU is considering new regulations that would require Chinese enterprises investing in Europe to meet specific conditions to enter key markets, including mandatory technology transfer, using a certain percentage of EU goods or labor, achieving product value addition within the EU, and possibly even forcing joint ventures, to enhance their own industrial competitiveness.
However, analysts are concerned that the EU's so-called "protectionist strategy" imitating China, targeting China, could trigger countermeasures, thereby damaging the crucial trade relationship between the two sides.
Regarding the EU's baseless accusation of "mandatory technology transfer," Xinhua News Agency pointed out that in fact, there is no law in China requiring foreign enterprises to transfer their technology to Chinese partners. Technology transfer between enterprises is entirely based on contracts, a result of voluntary transactions by market entities. China's requirements for joint ventures and equity ratios in specific areas are the result of negotiations between China and World Trade Organization members, in line with WTO rules and China's commitments upon joining the WTO. This is a common practice adopted by most countries and has nothing to do with mandatory technology transfer.
China has also emphasized this issue, stating that the Chinese government has always attached great importance to intellectual property rights protection, taking numerous powerful measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of domestic and foreign intellectual property rights holders, with achievements evident to all. In terms of intellectual property cooperation, Sino-European bilateral mechanisms have been established. Through this mechanism, China and the EU have maintained effective communication and achieved positive results in many areas.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569032251938325002/
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