In mid-November, newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stirred controversy when her comments on the island of Taiwan drew strong reactions from the Chinese mainland, once again testing relations between the Chinese mainland and Japan.
Historically, such flashpoints fueled public calls across the Chinese mainland to boycott Japanese products. Yet in recent weeks, those calls have been notably muted. There's no #BoycottJapan trending on Weibo or mass campaigns offline. What's changed?
Analysts say it's not public apathy on sensitive issues but a fundamental shift in the Chinese mainland's consumer landscape. Over the past decade, emerging homegrown brands have eaten into the dominance once held by Japanese imports.
Ten years ago, Japanese cars were prized for reliability, and electronics giants like Sony, Sharp and Panasonic embodied high-quality manufacturing. Today, that prestige is fading.
Take smartphones. Sony quietly exited the Chinese mainland market this year after sales dwindled, overwhelmed by local players such as Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo. In home appliances, items that once symbolized Japanese craftsmanship – like high-end smart toilet seats – are now dominated by Chinese mainland manufacturers, which control more than 65 percent of the domestic smart-toilet market.
The transformation is perhaps most dramatic in the automotive sector. As the Chinese mainland embraces new energy vehicles, traditional strengths of Japanese automakers are losing ground. This year, the Chinese mainland's passenger vehicle sales are expected to hit around 25 million units, while combined sales of Honda, Nissan and Toyota are projected to dip below the 3.3 million units they sold last year. Japanese brands' market share has shrunk from a 24 percent peak to about 11 percent today. Meanwhile, Chinese mainland champions BYD, Geely, Chery and Changan each post annual sales rivaling or exceeding the entire Japanese segment.
With over half of new cars now electric or hybrid and local companies leading in battery technology, supply chain integration and price competitiveness, experts predict Japanese brands will face even steeper uphill battles in the coming decade.
"Chinese mainland brands deliver sharp design, solid quality and local value," says Mark Tanner, managing director of Shanghai-based consultancy China Skinny. "Japanese brands must work significantly harder to keep up."
Media commentator Ming Jinwei adds that boycott campaigns lose relevance when foreign labels no longer hold center stage. "People aren't calling for boycotts because domestic products are rising. When foreign brands fade from everyday life, boycotts become unnecessary."
Ming also notes that Japan's recent hardline political stance, driven in part by rising far-right forces, reflects internal pressures rather than external challenges. "Japanese populism is on the rise, signaling domestic stagnation and social contradictions," he argues.
As domestic brands continue to innovate and capture consumer loyalty, the next flashpoint may not spark boycotts but fuel another wave of "Made in China" pride.
Reference(s):
Why Chinese consumers aren't boycotting Japanese goods amid tensions
cgtn.com
