Manufacturing is the foundation of a nation's economy. Data shows China's manufacturing value added reached 34.7 trillion yuan in 2025, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the global total and ranking first worldwide for 16 consecutive years.
In an article published on Oct. 23, Bloomberg wrote that "from cameras to running shoes, the world now sees Made in China as cool."
The article noted that "Made in China" was once synonymous with cheap, sometimes low-quality goods, but that stereotype has been broken. China's manufacturing and export strength in electric vehicles, solar equipment and other high-tech areas is well known and underpins its economy, yet less noticed is that Chinese home appliances and consumer goods are now popular globally.
Twenty years ago, American and Japanese products sold well in China. Today, many Chinese products win consumers over through a combination of price, quality, style and function.
"Made in China" is increasingly viewed by global consumers as a status symbol, challenging traditional Western brands not only in household goods but in discerning categories such as camera lenses, fountain pens and running shoes.
The article argued that Chinese brands actively respond to evolving user needs and in doing so have captured the attention of many young consumers. Photographers who once spent 1,000 dollars or more on a Western-brand lens are now choosing Chinese-made lenses, which have shed the low-cost label and match top-tier quality, driven by heavy investment in materials research and production.
Social media has also played a big role. A Chinese running shoe brand went viral overnight: although it had no physical stores in the United States and a modest website, its shoes became sought after on Reddit, with runners posting reviews and users sharing tips on how to buy them.
The article quoted Glyn Atwal, an associate professor at Burgundy School of Business in France, as saying many young consumers in the United States and Europe lack the attachment to Western brands that older generations had, and are more likely to "think China is cool in innovation and technology."
