Why is it we so distrust products made in China, or Japan?
Photo from Martin Abegglen’s flickr
For example cars. It isn’t cool to drive a Japanese car. Why? A Japanese car costs less, is more reliable, more innovative. Yet we don’t want those cars. A German car costs more, is less reliable, and looks like the German cars 20 years ago.
There are multiple explanations I can think of. A car is no more just a means of transportation; it is a symbol of status. The bigger your Mercedes, the richer you are. This is logical, we (yes, ‘we’, the cool guys from the western world) produce cars for the wealthy, they produce cars for transport. It is a different market, in which Japan conquers, who can afford a 50, 000 dollar Mercedes and who just needs a means of transport, a car that fits a parking spot.
The other explanation is that we are afraid for change. Which is logical too, we like the old-fashioned expensive cars. They worked 20 years ago, we can’t say that of a Japanese car. And a car produced in Germany or the US sounds safe. The world that we know. China is too far away.
But what if Mercedes suddenly lets its cars be produced in China, because of the low wages? It won’t keep us from buying them and this seems strange. As long as the brand is western, it doesn’t matter where it really comes from. An iPhone is made in China, yet we buy it. The Meizu, a mobile bigger, faster and better than an iPhone, doesn’t sell in the US. We like the Chinese wages, not the Chinese brand.
What is your honest opinion about products made in China?
Moment Matters 
Made in China is okay ….and made in Germany is okay – there is a market for both … so why not. Volvo is Chinese today and they are doing so well nothing has changed in their standards … I think we should learn from China and their neighbors to adapt to things more easy. Look at Lexus .. a status car today. Look at Samsung who does the best smart phones in the world – better then Iphone. I don’t think we will stop buy Mercedes because it’s built somewhere else. Look at LOUIS VUITTON – the real deal are not made in France anymore – their handbags are made in Asia, but still women buy them.
I agree with your post about MADE IN CHINA 100% as well as the comment made by Viveka. Especially in my country of SA, its residents of late have been for the most part, critical of any products made in China. I can understand this because the complaints made about the products in question were legitimate. Even Chinese citizens themselves have complained about their own products. However having said this, I do not agree with the assumption that ALL Chinese products are inferior and/or of low quality. Just tell anyone that a product is made in China and then you get turned up eyeball expressions and shakes of the head. As one who has lived in China for so long and used Chinese products, for the most part, I have not had any problems at all. It is sad though when people go over board and make these generalised blanket statements which are in my opinion grossly unfair. Being a blogger myself about all things Chinese , I am wondering why you got to blog this article first and not me.lol. 🙂 Nice article though.
I agree with you Viveka.
My parents have a Hybrid Honda Car and it is the best car I’ve ever driven! My dad used to have a BMW but it was very unpleasant and I was always sick in it. A lot of brands still take advantage of their names but countries like Japan made real good cars!
Good thought provoking post. I agree though, that with cars and many other things it is status and people don’t care where it is made, as long as they can say “I drive a Mecedes”. I drive a Nissan car, and it is as reliable as my Golf I had before, but more affordable. Then for me a car is transport, and neccessity not status. Even some German car makers put their plants to the East as the production is cheaper. And let’s face it Japan has always been top in technology, so why not have Japanese phones or electrical items. I don’t mind usually where the item has been produced, as long as it works and is reliable.
Great post. I think all that matters is the standards are kept the same, no matter where a product is made. If Mercedes is made in china, but still built strong (I own a mercedes, I am NOT rich, it IS reliable and it’s safer) then I wouldn’t mind. But if they built it with cheaper parts, like a Toyota (yes, I know they’re reliable), then there would be no point in owning a Mercedes. I agree some people only care about the name, but for me, it’s what the name represents, which is quality.
More to the point, perhaps? Is that, of where workers are involved. You know? Those other than machines, that make, or do, with their hands. Where they are and the amount they are being paid. Is the reason why Mitt. Romney, hides his taxes. Buying from other countries is still taking food out of your neighbours mouth. These corporate giants, hiving out their manufacture; to where the slave labour is the cheapest. …. N. Korea next?
Buy local, think global.
My gosh, I haven’t purchased an American car since 1982, when I first purchased a 280Z from Datsun, and never looked back. I had 2 Corvettes before that, rattle traps that ran poorly and constantly needed repairs/tuning. We bought one of my wife’s company car after the lease, a Taurus, and it ran great for 150,000 miles. The next Taurus had brake failures, fuel leaks, cracked manifold, blown radiator and water pump, and broken speedometer cable, all before 50,000 miles. Her company current Saturn has alignment problems, brake failure, cracked block, and poor mileage.
Meantime, I’ve had a BMW 5 series that ran well and got good mileage, but had a speedometer that constantly was reading higher than actual speed, which BMW refused to repair. And for every service call, expect to pay $300 minimum. Battery went out after 5 years, which is ok, but only replacement is from BMW, and guess what it costs?
As for China, I worked there for many years sourcing products for the US. And unless you have a representative in their factory every day, I would not do business there. Antifreeze in toothpaste? Sulphur in wallboard? Poison in dog food? Daily occurrences. And count on any design or other proprietary info being out in the market there before your first article samples reach US shores.
I drive a Japanese car. 😃
She’s the best car I’ve ever driven. She’s my steed. ❤
Stolen ideas and disregard for safety of product
What is stealing ideas, when we stole the invention of paper from them. Is is stealing, or is it copying? Is it not a good thing that we build upon ideas of others, which is not called stealing, but improving? Is it not a good thing that Mercedes are forced to improve their cars, because their monopoly is over?
Do you mind Samsung copying the ‘rectangular’ phone which is originally from Apple? Should Samsung make triangular phones? Were it not for Samsung, your iPhone 4 would be exactly like your iPhone 2, except for the number on the back? Is that iPhone worth 600 dollars, or can they raise their prices only because there is no competition?
You asked for opinions. I gave you mine. My husband works in the technology world and I hear all the time about the stealing…therefore, that’s my take.
In the world of electronics the Japanese and now Koreans are seen as producing high quality products and as said in the first reply, Lexus are seen as a premium marque. I would agree China has away to go, but I’m sure they will prevail, hopefully their human rights standards will improve also.
Products made in China have a bad reputation of being cheap; while western brands take the effort to keep their names look good. I guess reputation of the name take a big space in the buyers’ decisions – regardless of the “behind the scenes”.
You have a great post going on here. Yet, I still think that we are missing a point?
The U.S. economy is predicated on war. War, with whom? Funnily enough? Countries with lots of oil. The other economy is fluid. The supply of consumer goods, for that war economy. That then fuels other economies with “tourism”.
The consumer good economy bounces around, from place to place. Wherever there are sufficient slaves. … economic slaves.
The Chinese are forever copying everything and trying to sell it back to us. If they can manage it, they actually buy the technology. I can think of many examples.
Buying technology – Transrapid maglev technology, anticipating that this would be the transport of the future, they bought the technology from the Germans, but no-one wants it.
Copying technology – my Dad began relations with a Chinese company who bought 2 machines from him. 3 years later they tried to sell a copy of those machines back to him. He didn’t buy because the quality was terrible.
For more examples see the fake market in Shanghai, copies of absolutely everything yet cheap tat that falls apart in a week. This is allowed within China.
TomToms are also made in Shanghai, it was the reason i was there, overseeing the final production process. It took many attempts to get the plastics correct and it was a little amateurish considering the size of the factory and the amount that they produce. Also I needed 2 people off the production line to test some connections for me, 2 young girls were brought off the line and had their uniformed boss stand over them all the time until they completed the action. He went for a slash and they started giggling and laughing, he returned and they went silent.
Basically it is a different culture completely to what we’re used to. It’s state sanctioned plagiarism yet the decent stuff that is made there is overseen by a european manager and the IP rights are protected from them.
I would never buy a car from them, or a train or a plane.
The Japanese lead the way in many fields of expertise. This was gained through their own engineering and own designs. It’s no coincidence that Japan has always been ahead in terms of electronic products. Korea (Samsung) are now challenging that domination through innovations of their own, a far more laudable policy than that of China’s
the bigger issue about products made in China are the sweatshops, child labour, dangerous working conditions, and on and on. There are certainly products made there that are not a result of these abuses, but if you’re paying pennies for something, there’s a reason it comes to us so cheap. I don’t buy from Wal-Mart or dollar stores for exactly these reasons, and try my best to buy what’s created as close to home as possible. I don’t drive, so the car issue is moot.
You’re amongst the few who disagree with the working conditions in China and actually try to do something against it. Yet for those with financial problems, every product for a penny is the logical choice. But living without a car is quite something in this modern world, impressive!
Hi Not Jack, I cannot claim to avoid all products stemming from China. I do, however agree with the points you raised.
It’s systemic with so much produce showing up on grocery shelves,too. You might think? With the type of repressive, corrupt, regimes in China; that the U.S. government might be more interested in pursuing human rights violations there. Like the meddling going on, in middle east?
Hmmm, repressive, corrupt society? Sounds like home, to me?
certainly there’s been a bad turn on this side of the pacific, as the Prime Minister of Canada has recently allowed dead animals to be processed for human consumption (I’m already vegetarian though), and food inspectors have been cut back. There is corruption, ,payoffs, payouts, and unsafe working conditions pretty much everywhere, however, our current governments are taking full advantage at the same time as they are preaching about their own track records.
I’m no fan of hypocrisy.
Well said, we are full of prejudice towards products from China and we see them as something cheap,bad and made by low-paid workers. But we forget that most of the stuff we use daily has that little sign MADE IN CHINA 😀
We depend on them and they depend on us… and that is OK… and we can learn from each other…
GREAT BLOG… good to discover early in the morning…