China offers global consumers fresh shopping experiences

TIANJIN -- Mok Jin Jin, a Malaysian student at Nankai University in North China's Tianjin Municipality, has observed a shift in his family's lifestyle since they received a Chinese-made blender.

His mother now frequently tries new healthy breakfast beverages like soy milk, milkshakes and freshly made juices. She particularly appreciates the one-button self-cleaning function, which saves her time and effort.

Not long ago, Mok purchased the blender through a Chinese e-commerce platform as a gift for his family. "Chinese-made products excel in performance and design. They not only improve the living quality but also fulfill consumers' expectations of modern consumption," Mok said.

The notion that Chinese products were "cheap and low-quality" was for long a common stereotype. However, in recent years, China has made significant strides in technological innovation and industrial upgrades, resulting in a remarkable improvement in the competitiveness of Chinese products.

At the same time, China's increasingly diverse consumer market has provided foreign consumers with a more international, fashionable and multifaceted shopping experience.

"International brands are ubiquitous in China's major cities, and global products are easily accessible through online shopping platforms. This has made shopping in China extremely convenient," Mok said. He was also pleasantly surprised to find several Malaysian food brands available in Chinese supermarkets and on e-commerce platforms. "It's wonderful to be able to enjoy familiar tastes while abroad," he said.

Phan Dinh Thang, a Vietnamese student studying Chinese at Nankai University, echoed this sentiment. "Shopping in China feels like 'global shopping' with an incredibly wide range of options," he said. As more Vietnamese people learn Chinese, they find it easier to purchase quality products on Chinese e-commerce platforms.

Thanks to China's robust supply chain system and efficient logistics network, goods shipped from China to Vietnam not only arrive quickly but are also cost-effective and often more affordable than local options in Vietnam. "This has made 'Chinese shopping' a new trend in Vietnam and highlights the increasingly close consumer ties between China and Vietnam," Phan explained.

With China continuously optimizing its international consumption environment, such as offering visa exemptions for some countries, enhancing departure tax refund policies and expanding international credit card payment channels -- making shopping trips to China a new trend in cross-border tourism.

Maltseva Varvara, a Russian visitor, shared her experience: "The best thing about shopping in China is how fast, convenient and hassle-free it is." After linking her international credit card to Alipay, Varvara found it easy to pay as she simply needed to scan via her phone by using a quick tap on its screen. "The recent improvements in the departure tax refund policy have made shopping and traveling in China even more convenient and welcoming."

Some overseas consumers have formed "shopping groups" and flown long distances to China to purchase popular products. According to data from China's Ministry of Commerce, the number of foreign visitors to Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and southwest China's Chongqing in 2024 was nearly double the figure of the previous year. These five cities are home to almost 70 percent of China's tax refund stores, while their imports of consumer goods accounted for over half of China's total last year.

Foreign consumption in China has seen a noticeable increase. The National Immigration Administration reported that, since the implementation of a 240-hour visa-free transit policy, the number of foreign visitors has grown by 40.2 percent year-on-year, with 71.3 percent of them entering visa-free.

The recent signing of a visa exemption agreement between China and Malaysia has made travel for Malaysian tourists more convenient. "It's much easier for my friends and family to visit China now, and they get to experience firsthand the increasingly convenient living environment and vibrant consumer market here," Mok said.

China's Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping recently stated that China will continue to improve its international consumption environment, increase the supply of high-quality products, and create more diversified consumption scenarios to boost inbound consumption.

Li Wei, dean of the Honor College of Tianjin Foreign Studies University, said that China is fostering an open, inclusive and diverse consumption environment that appeals to foreign visitors. "This offers more opportunities for global consumers and businesses."