李總理得知“熱買”，激勵中國公司“提高技術能力吧”

Last month the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

「爆買い」受け李首相、中国企業に発破「技術力上げよ」

北京＝金順姫、斎藤徳彦

2015年3月5日23時54分

　消費者が飛行機代を節約できるように、洗浄便座などをつくる技術力アップを――。中国の李克強（リーコーチアン）首相は４日、中国人旅行者が日本で洗浄便座や炊飯器などを大量に購入する「爆買い」と呼ばれる現象を受け、国内企業に発破をかけた。中国メディアが伝えた。

　全人代に先立って開幕した全国政治協商会議（政協）で、李首相が経済人らの会合に出た際に述べた。

　全人代の直前の春節（旧正月）期間中に訪日した中国人客が家電製品などを大量購入する様子は、中国でも大きく報じられた。

　全人代の広東省代表でもある大手家電メーカー・格力集団の董明珠会長が「中国企業の品質だって劣っていないのに、一部の企業のせいで信頼が損なわれている」と発言するなど、波紋を巻き起こしていた。（北京＝金順姫、斎藤徳彦）

(試譯文)

To make washing toilet seat with better technical ability so that consumers could save the airplane expenses: China’s Li Keqiang prime minister on the 4th (March) made this urge to domestic enterprises after noting the so called "buying spree" phenomenon that Chinese travelers bought washing toilet seats and rice cookers from Japan in large quantities. This was reported in the Chinese media.

 Prime Minister Li said this in a National Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) meeting held for business people took place before the opening of the National People's Congress.

 There was a situation that Chinese visitors visited Japan during spring festival (Lunar New Year), a period just before the National People's Congress was held, and brought home electronics in large quantities: this was being widely reported in China.

 Chairperson Dong Mingzhu of the Gree Electrics Appliances Inc., a major household electric appliance manufacturer, who was also the Guangdong province representative in the National People's Congress remarked that "although the quality of the Chinese enterprise is not bad, the confidence in them was damaged by the behavior of some enterprises", creating some ripples.

I think it would take time for the enterprises in China to regain the confidence from consumers.