Many people think they know the difference between products ‘Made in Germany’ and ‘Made in China’ – German products are of high quality and have a high standard, while Chinese products are cheap, of bad quality, are more than likely copied and are bad for one’s health.
However, a trend towards a higher standard can be seen in Chinese products today. „Quality not quantity“ is the new motto. Reasons for this is the increasing urbanization and the related increase in prices in China as well as the constantly growing middle class, which is no longer satisfied with low quality products. China’s middle class demands quality goods for their quality work. Even though there are still cheap products sold in China and abroad, the overall higher quality standard demanded by the domestic population influences the quality of the products exported and sold on the international market. The trend is not only recognizeable in consumer goods, but also in industrial products – Chinese brands are becoming market leaders in several industries, which demonstrates the ability and potential for the quality and innovation of Chinese industrial and consumer products.
The full interview with Waldemar Pförtsch on ‘Made in Germany – Made in China’ in Deutschlandradio is available here in German language.