In China, consumerism trumps nationalism despite tensions with the U.S. and Japan

HONG KONG (AP) — In China, consumerism appears to outweigh nationalism regardless of how testy relations have become in recent diplomatic spats with countries like Japan and the United States.

It has been common practice for the ruling Communist Party to whip up nationalist sentiment and deploy propaganda condemning countries deemed to be violating China's stance on territorial issues as Taiwan and Tibet. At times, Beijing targets companies that make ideological missteps in their maps or advertising.

In the past, friction with Japan and the United States has led to calls for mass boycotts, protests in the streets or even vandalism on embassies or restaurants. These days, pure nationalism appears not to resonate so much with Chinese consumers accustomed to making their own personal consumption choices.

“Chinese consumers, especially urban middle-class and younger demographics, are not making everyday purchasing decisions based on nationalism,” said Jacob Cooke, CEO of Beijing-based consultancy WPIC Marketing + Technologies.

Japan still sells despite tensions

Beijing reacted with outrage to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comment, not long after she took office in October, that an attack on Taiwan, the self-ruled island China claims as its territory, might require a military intervention by Tokyo.

Chinese officials have condemned the remark and moved to restrict some trade with Japan. Warnings to Chinese travelers not to visit Japan, an ultra-popular destination, have had a notable impact on its tourism industry.

Be that as it may, huge crowds turned up to the opening of an outlet of Sushiro at a Shanghai mall in December.

The Japan-based conveyor-belt sushi chain has become a smash success since it opened its first branch in mainland China in 2021.

“It tastes good,” said Edith Xiao, a 23-year-old university student who lined up outside a Sushiro restaurant in a Beijing mall for more than half an hour to get in. “The quality of the ingredients is guaranteed.”

Xiao is also a fan of the Japanese manga and anime series Chiikawa, whose cherubic, hamster-like cartoon character is popular among Chinese.

The broader state of China-Japan relations has had little impact on her own consumption of Japanese culture or restaurants, she said.

“It’s just statements made by leaders. It doesn’t represent a change in the attitude of people of the country,” she explained.

American culture appeals to Chinese consumers

Tensions between the Chinese and U.S. governments over tariffs, Taiwan and other issues also don’t appear to be causing Chinese to punish American brands.

Disney’s Zootopia 2 is a huge hit in China, where its fans, many in cosplay of its characters, helped make it one of the biggest global cinematic hits of 2025.

It became the highest grossing Hollywood film in China on record with more than 4.4 billion yuan ($634 million) in revenue, according to Chinese entertainment data provider Beacon Pro.

Despite a government push to promote and subsidize homegrown movies to make China a “strong film power” by 2035, Chinese film-goers say they welcome an escape into foreign cinematics.

Zootopia 2 was a light-hearted option, said Ruan Wenlin, who watched the movie in Beijing. “It was so hilarious,” she said.

Many Chinese consumers are “tired, exhausted and anxious from COVID and from the weak economy,” said Shaun Rein, managing director at China Market Research Group. “People are watching Hollywood movies, especially cartoons like Zootopia, because they’re stressed out and just want something to relax themselves,” he said.

Ralph Lauren, the New York-based fashion brand, meanwhile has been building on its “old money” and quiet luxury aesthetic to win favor with urban middle-class Chinese who are prioritizing quality and value over nationalism, analysts say.

American fashions appeal to many, despite often fraught relations between Beijing and Washington. Ralph Lauren’s sales have grown faster in China than in Europe or North America.

“What attracts me most is its stable brand image and design,” said Zhang Tianyu, who was shopping recently at a Ralph Lauren outlet in Beijing.

American brands that are succeeding are doing so because they genuinely meet consumer needs or represent a lifestyle Chinese consumers want to associate with, not because of country-of-origin alone, said Cooke from WPIC Marketing + Technologies.

Evolving patterns as ‘patriotic buying’ trend shifts

As a wave of patriotic buying of Chinese brands — dubbed “guochao,” or national tide in Chinese — has evolved and matured, many consumers have grown comfortable with both foreign and domestic brands.

“Chinese (people) have stopped buying just for the sake of buying Chinese brands," said Rein from China Market Research Group. Consumers are “scared about the economy, they’re anxious about their job prospects. So they’ll just buy whatever brand, domestic, Chinese or foreign, fits their definition of value and lifestyle,” he said.

Compared with a decade ago, nationalist sentiment has less influence on consumer behavior, analysts said.

In 2012, Chinese crowds gathered for anti-Japan protests over a territorial dispute, smashed Japanese brand cars and vandalized Japanese restaurants. There were calls to shun Japanese goods.

Likewise in 2021, Western brands including Nike were hit with boycotts in China due to disputes over political issues such as Beijing's treatment of members of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, in the country's far west.

More recently, controversies like a Pokemon card game event that was originally planned to be held at a shrine to honor Japan’s war dead still triggered angry comments on Chinese social media, but no obvious broader repercussions.

“We may believe that all Chinese consumers should follow Beijing’s direction of discarding foreign influence, which is misleading,” said Yaling Jiang, an independent Chinese consumer analyst. “Geopolitics does not dictate business flows on the local level.”

Shoppers often will just mix and match to suit their own tastes, Jiang said.

But there are limits

The ascent of strong Chinese brands has emerged as a key challenge for foreign companies. From electric vehicles to smart phones to athletic wear, local companies are fast gaining market share both at home and abroad.

“Chinese will choose Chinese brands because they’re better, better value, better quality, better pricing,” said Rein.

After the government declared that travelers should avoid trips to Japan, employees of state-owned companies and government agencies, as well as travel agencies, fell in line. Hundreds of flights operated by China’s major state-owned airlines, and Japan-bound group tours, were cancelled.

The number of Chinese visitors to Japan fell 45% in December from a year earlier, to about 330,400. Many Chinese are still traveling to Japan individually, despite earlier warnings from officials, often while keeping a low-profile on social media.

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AP’s Beijing newsroom contributed to this story.