HONG KONG (AP) — In China, consumerism appears to be outpacing nationalism, no matter how tense recent diplomatic spats with countries like Japan and the United States are.
It is common practice for the ruling Communist Party to stoke nationalist sentiment and use propaganda to denounce countries seen as violating China’s stance on territorial issues such as Taiwan and Tibet. Beijing sometimes targets companies that make ideological errors in maps or advertisements.
In the past, friction with Japan and the United States has led to mass boycotts, street protests and even calls to vandalize embassies or restaurants. Today, pure nationalism does not seem to resonate with Chinese consumers accustomed to making individual consumption choices.
“Chinese consumers, especially the urban middle class and younger population, do not make daily purchasing decisions based on nationalism,” said Jacob Cooke, CEO of Beijing-based consulting firm WPIC Marketing + Technologies.
Japan still selling despite tensions
Beijing bristled at Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments shortly after she took office last October that an attack on Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by China, might require Tokyo to intervene militarily.
Chinese officials condemned the remarks and took action to restrict some trade with Japan. Japan, a super popular tourist destination, has warned Chinese tourists not to visit, which has had a significant impact on its tourism industry.
Still, Sushiro was packed with people when it opened its store in a Shanghai shopping mall last December.
The Japan-based conveyor belt sushi chain has seen great success since opening its first branch in mainland China in 2021.
“It tastes good,” said Edith Shaw, a 23-year-old college student who waited in line for more than half an hour outside a sushi restaurant in a shopping mall in Beijing before going in. “The quality of the ingredients is guaranteed.”
Xiao is also a fan of the Japanese manga and anime series Senaigawa, whose cute hamster cartoon characters are popular in China.
The overall state of Sino-Japanese relations has little impact on her own consumption of Japanese culture or restaurants, she said.
“This is just the leader’s statement and does not represent a change in the attitude of the people across the country,” she explained.
American culture attracts Chinese consumers
Tensions between the U.S. and Chinese governments over tariffs, Taiwan and other issues also don’t appear to be causing China to punish U.S. brands.
Disney’s Zootopia 2 is a hit in China and its fans, many of whom cosplay, make it one of the hottest movies globally in 2025.
According to Chinese entertainment data provider Beacon Pro, the film became the highest-grossing Hollywood film on record in China with revenue of more than 4.4 billion yuan ($634 million).
While the government heavily promotes and subsidizes local films in a bid to make China a “film powerhouse” by 2035, Chinese moviegoers say they welcome the shift to foreign films.
Ruan Wenlin, who watched the movie in Beijing, said “Zootopia 2” was an easy choice. “It’s hilarious,” she said.
Lei Xiaoshan, managing director of China Market Research Group, said many Chinese consumers “feel tired, exhausted and anxious due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the weak economy.” “People watch Hollywood movies, especially cartoons like ‘Zootopia,’ because they’re stressed out and just want something to relax,” he said.
New York-based fashion brand Ralph Lauren has been building on its “old money” and understated luxury aesthetic to win over China’s urban middle class, who prioritize quality and value over nationalism, analysts say.
Despite the often fraught relations between Beijing and Washington, American fashion still attracts many people. Ralph Lauren’s sales in China are growing faster than in Europe or North America.
“What attracts me most is its stable brand image and design,” said Zhang Tianyu, who recently shopped at a Ralph Lauren store in Beijing.
WPIC Marketing + Technologies’ Cook said U.S. brands succeed because they truly meet consumer needs or represent a lifestyle that Chinese consumers want to connect with, not just because of country of origin.
Patterns Changing as ‘Patriotic Buying’ Trend Shifts
As the wave of patriotic purchases of Chinese brands, known as the “national wave”, grows and matures, many consumers are satisfied with both foreign and domestic brands.
“Chinese are no longer just buying Chinese brands for the sake of buying them,” said Lane of China Market Research Group. Consumers “are scared about the economy and anxious about their job prospects. So they will just buy any brand that fits their definition of value and lifestyle, whether it’s domestic, Chinese or foreign,” he said.
Analysts say nationalistic sentiment has less of an impact on consumer behavior than it did a decade ago.
In 2012, Chinese people held anti-Japanese protests over territorial disputes, smashing Japanese brand cars and damaging Japanese restaurants. Some people call for avoiding Japanese products.
Likewise, Western brands including Nike were boycotted in China in 2021 amid controversy over political issues such as Beijing’s treatment of members of its Muslim minority in Xinjiang, the country’s far-western region.
More recently, controversies such as a planned Pokemon card game event at the Yasukuni Shrine still prompted angry comments on Chinese social media but had no apparent wider impact.
“We may think that all Chinese consumers should follow Beijing’s instructions and abandon foreign influence, but this is misleading,” said Jiang Yaling, an independent Chinese consumer analyst. “Geopolitics does not determine business flows at the local level.”
Jiang said shoppers often mix and match items based on their own tastes.
But there are limitations
The rise of powerful Chinese brands has become a major challenge for foreign companies. From electric cars to smartphones to sportswear, local companies are rapidly gaining market share at home and abroad.
“Chinese people will choose Chinese brands because they are better, more valuable, better quality and cheaper,” Lane said.
After the government announced that travelers should avoid traveling to Japan, employees at state-owned enterprises, government agencies and travel agencies followed suit. Hundreds of flights operated by China’s major state-owned airlines were canceled, as were group tours to Japan.
The number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan in December dropped 45% year-on-year to approximately 330,400. Despite earlier warnings from officials, many Chinese are traveling to Japan alone, often keeping a low profile on social media.
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The Associated Press newsroom in Beijing contributed to this report.
