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China Daily, the official English-language mouthpiece of Chinese government, recently published an editorial criticizing the European Parliament (EP) for making statements about Taiwan.

During a recent plenary session, the EP adopted the “Annual Report on the Implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, 2023” in a vote of 338 in favor, 86 against and 122 abstentions. The report included language stating that “Neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to the other” and “only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent the Taiwanese people on the international stage.” China Daily has argued that this wording is “problematic” and an “infringement on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The annual report also calls for supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. China Daily has responded by accusing the EP of “interfering in China’s internal affairs.” It argues that the report will negatively impact China-EU relations, accusing some European Parliament politicians of being influenced by a “Cold War mentality” or “instigated by Washington to challenge China over Taiwan.”

Source: China Daily, March 3, 2024
https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202403/03/WS65e4799fa31082fc043ba45f.html

Chinese e-commerce platforms like Temu and SHEIN have seen large gains in Japan by offering low prices and decent quality. Temu, which focuses on daily essentials, has acquired over 15 million monthly active users in Japan within 6 months of its launch. This figure already exceeds 50% of the average user base of Japan’s top 3 e-commerce sites – Amazon Japan, Rakuten Ichiba, and Yahoo Shopping. Meanwhile, SHEIN has surpassed leading Japanese fashion marketplace ZOZOTOWN with 8.39 million users in January 2024, more than triple the number from a year earlier.

The secret behind behind the business models of Temu and SHEIN is the direct supply chain they have with small and medium manufacturers in China. This allows them to offer competitive pricing without compromising much on quality. Aggressive marketing tactics like heavy discounts and coupons have also helped them to rapidly gain market share.

As growth in the overseas footprint of Chinese ecommerce firms (now including TikTok) continues, they face barriers ranging from national security concerns to consumer rights and competition / IP infringement issues.

Some have voiced concern that the rise of Temu and SHEIN in Japan could threaten existing Japanese players. Moreover, these firms may face issues with the Japanese government over human rights concerns and intellectual property violations affecting the companies’ supply chains. SHEIN is also facing a lawsuit from leading Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo.

In the US, Temu and SHEIN are already in the crosshairs of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission for links to forced labor in Xinjiang as well as IP theft.

Source: Nikkei Chinese, February 21, 2024
https://zh.cn.nikkei.com/china/ccompany/54870-2024-02-21-05-00-53.html

Japanese and Western automakers are struggling in the Chinese market, with steeper sales declines in 2023 compared to the Chinese auto market more broadly.

Honda’s 2023 sales fell 10% to 1.23 million vehicles in China while Nissan’s sales dropped 16% to 790,000 units. Toyota sales were flat at 1.9 million units. Mitsubishi Motors announced in October 2022 that it would cease production in China due to poor sales. Within about two months Mitsubishi’s dealership in Guangzhou was replaced by an outlet for a Chinese auto brand.

Volkswagen’s 2023 sales in China rose 2% to 3.23 million while sales of GM’s Buick brand fell 20% and Cadillac sales dropped by 8%.

Sales in China of electric and plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles increased by 30% in 2023, with Chinese automaker BYD expanding its selection of electric car models. China’s market for gasoline passenger vehicles shrank 7%, while the broader market for passenger vehicles (including electric vehicles) grew 4% to 21.92 million units.

Japanese brands Honda and Nissan lagged in electric vehicle sales even as their gasoline models face fierce price competition from Chinese brands. Japanese automakers face hard choices on where to focus limited resources. They face stiff price competition from Chinese manufacturers, though sales in China remain high enough to warrant continued competition in the electric vehicle segment. The plug-in hybrid segment may get less attention going forward.

Fierce price competition has spread to affect gasoline car models, and major foreign brands have cut prices substantially. Japanese brands offered steep discounts, with discounts on new Hondas averaging $3,500 and Nissan discounts averaging $3,200. Meanwhile, the average discount on BYD vehicles averaged just $750.

Source: Nikkei Chinese, February 22, 2024
https://zh.cn.nikkei.com/industry/icar/54748-2024-02-22-05-00-31.html