BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — From electric vehicles turning heads on European streets to bubble tea shops multiplying across Southeast Asia and quirky plush toys igniting a collecting frenzy worldwide, Chinese brands have gained global popularity, emerging as symbols of innovation, design and quality.
More than a string of business successes, this trend offers fresh evidence of China’s evolving role in global trade and the dynamism underpinning its economic transformation.
A boy eats ice cream at a Mixue Ice Cream & Tea store in Mexico City, Mexico, April 1, 2026. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)
GLOBAL APPEAL
When Mixue Ice Cream & Tea opened its first store in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in April, crowds of curious customers lined up outside the shop, some waiting for more than an hour to try the popular Chinese beverage chain for the first time. The Sao Paulo debut marked the latest step in Mixue’s overseas expansion. Since launching its first international outlet in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2018, the chain has grown to more than 4,000 stores outside China.
Mixue is among a growing number of Chinese brands accelerating their global expansion and winning over overseas consumers with quality products, competitive pricing and localized offerings.
Sportswear giant Anta opened its first North American flagship store in February in Beverly Hills, California. Hotpot chains led by Haidilao have built a loyal following across dozens of countries, while Yadea’s electric bikes and motorcycles have gained strong sales in Southeast Asia and South America.
Global trust in Chinese brands has risen significantly, with their international influence continuing to expand, according to a report by consulting firm Ipsos.
“They have zeroed in on the preferences of younger global consumers,” said Zhao Xisan, a researcher with the Henan Academy of Social Sciences. “Continuous innovation in product design, user experience and marketing models aligns with Generation Z’s preference for personalized and trend-driven consumption.”
People stand in line in front of a Pop Mart store in Milan, Italy, Aug. 9, 2025. (Photo by Michele Novaga/Xinhua)
Pop Mart’s Labubu offers a telling example. The character, part of the brand’s The Monsters series, has become a global phenomenon, with revenue reaching 14.16 billion yuan (about 2.07 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up more than threefold year-on-year. Pop Mart expanded into more than 30 overseas cities last year, including Berlin, Rome, Copenhagen and Toronto.
The commercial success is underpinned by China’s industrial strength. “China’s complete manufacturing ecosystem, particularly its supply chain coordination and scale, allows companies to compress the cycle from design and production to restocking and logistics,” said Li Kai, an associate professor at Xiamen University’s School of Economics.
“For overseas consumers, that means access to trendier, more reliable and faster-updating products and services at the same price point,” Li said.
Beyond products, Chinese brands increasingly encompass lifestyle and experience.
Heytea offers a case in point. Its London store near the British Museum is designed as an immersive Chinese aesthetic space, featuring interactive ceiling screens, rock garden displays, and seating inspired by traditional ink art. Its Toronto location, meanwhile, includes a “tea laboratory” where customers can observe the process of making tea drinks from raw ingredients.
“Hot pot is less about the broth than the social experience. Milk tea is less about the drink than about the aesthetics, flavors, and social media appeal it carries. And sportswear is no longer just clothing, but a reflection of design, technology and lifestyle,” Li said. “Increasingly, overseas consumers are buying experiences — and a sense of identity.”
Chinese brands are engaging global markets with a more open and collaborative approach, driven by the country’s growing innovation capacity, market vitality, and rising cultural appeal, said Wang Weiqiang, an associate professor at the business school of Zhengzhou University.
NEW ROLE
Behind the commercial success lies a structural shift in how China participates in the global economy.
Consulting firm Kearney described Chinese brands as evolving from product sellers to ecosystem builders, and from market participants to network orchestrators. “By expanding global footprints in R&D and manufacturing, Chinese brands are strengthening competitiveness and becoming more integrated in local economic ecosystems,” it said in a report.
The shift is visible on the ground. Automaker Chery inaugurated its first overseas regional operations center in Barcelona, Spain, last month. Yin Tongyue, Chairman of Chery, said the company aims to integrate into local R&D, manufacturing, supply chain systems and market structures, contributing to local economic development.
Mixue, likewise, announced plans last year to source at least 4 billion yuan worth of Brazilian goods, including coffee beans and fruits, over the next three to five years while building localized supply chains.
“China is moving up the global value chain,” said Li. “In the past, its role was largely centered on processing and assembly. Today, more companies are expanding into R&D, design, distribution, branding, user data and standardized operations.”
Services are also becoming an increasingly important part of that transformation.
The government has unveiled plans to develop more globally competitive “China Service” brands. Earlier this year, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao highlighted tourism, traditional Chinese medicine, and catering as potential areas for service export growth.
China expects its service sector’s added value to surpass 100 trillion yuan by 2030, up from 80 trillion yuan recorded last year. In 2025, services accounted for 57.7 percent of the country’s GDP and contributed 61.4 percent of economic growth.
Nowadays, China is increasingly exporting not just products but also brands, experiences, services, and the operational systems behind them, Li said.
Looking ahead, experts believe that Chinese companies will become ever more deeply woven into the fabric of overseas economies — creating jobs, forging new models of cooperation, and unlocking opportunities that stand to benefit both sides.
