A SUDDEN TREND HAS EMERGED AMONG CHINESE CONSUMERS, with many of them rushing to Japan to purchase small electrical goods such as rice cookers. Reports show that in some shops in Japan, orders from Chinese tourists account for 80 percent of the total. Comments:

Many analysts and media link the trend with China's inferior technologies and low-end manufacturing industries, but the truth is it has a financial root. The renminbi has robustly appreciated against most foreign currencies, which means a discount for Chinese consumers buying products abroad. It is natural for Chinese travelers to buy products overseas.

Yangtze Evening News, Feb 9