It is easy to say we can just not use Chinese products

Since I wrote about Chinese products yesterday, I've been getting comments like, "If you hate China, just don't buy it."
Let me clarify something in advance.
I am not trying to make a political point, nor am I writing this to change anyone's mind.
I just want to honestly share a few things I have experienced on the ground.
Over the past two years, I have traveled to China very frequently.
I've posted quite a few photos in the bullpen, so I've been called a "China expert" quite a bit. lol
From Shenzhen and Guangzhou to Shanghai and Beijing.
I can't even remember exactly how many times I've been there.
To give you a rough idea of the proportion of goods our company imports:
USA 50%, China 30%, Japan 20%
roughly.
Our company's main focus is still American products. In terms of revenue, that proportion is even higher.
However, while dealing with American companies, something frustrating started happening at some point.
Products that used to be manufactured in the US were being shifted to Chinese production one by one.
When produced in the US, these items were subject to the KORUS FTA, but once production moves to China, the country of origin changes, and naturally, the conditions change (meaning we have to pay tariffs).
It's an American company, but they make the goods in China.
You would think it would be more efficient and cheaper in terms of logistics if that Chinese factory shipped directly to Korea, but they don't do that.
Ultimately, we have to receive the products made in China through the American company's distribution network.
From a company's perspective, it is quite frustrating.
It is similar with Japan as well.
There is an important Japanese product I have managed for about 15 years, since my previous job, and even that has moved to Chinese production.
Japan is a bit different from the US because they already paid tariffs and are geographically close to Korea.
But the interesting thing is that after switching to Chinese production, the quality actually improved.
So I asked the person in charge.
I asked why the quality got better even though production moved to China.
They brushed it off, saying it's because the Chinese factory has newer equipment than the Japanese one.
Hearing that felt a bit strange.
American products are made in China,
Japanese products are made in China,
and for some products, the ones made in Chinese factories are actually better quality.
From my position, the thought naturally occurs:
"Wouldn't it be right to just buy directly from the Chinese manufacturer?"
Of course, in reality, it isn't that simple.
There are contracts, brands, exclusive rights, distribution structures, and factories don't just sell directly to anyone.
That is why we still buy American products from American companies and Japanese products from Japanese companies.
And we are constantly looking for alternatives.
However, after experiencing this for several years, I feel that saying we won't buy something just because it's "Made in China" is a bit different from reality.
This is especially true in B2B.
Individual consumers can look at the brand or the country of origin, but in business-to-business transactions, what we actually look at is different.
It's not that a deal is impossible just because it's Chinese, nor is a deal guaranteed just because it's American or Japanese.
Chinese factories vary wildly.
There are certainly many places that are a mess and places you'd never want to deal with again.
On the other hand, there are places where, seeing the facilities and production scale, you wonder if this is really the kind of Chinese factory you had in mind.
That is why we go there in person.
To Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing.
Because you can't make a decision just by looking at a few photos on the internet.
You can't choose not to go just because you dislike China.
If I say, "I hate China, so I won't go,"
my competitors will go.
They go there, find products, lower unit costs, bring in new items, and shorten lead times.
If I am the only one not going, I will eventually lose out on price and product variety.
My clients won't accept high prices just because I dislike China.
That is the reality.
Especially in B2B, it's not even that big of a negative factor.
As long as the quality is there, it works.
Individual consumption is actually similar if you think about it.
Some people say they will never use anything made in China, but I don't know how many people in daily life actually use zero Chinese-made products.
Even if you go to a Daiso, there are many Chinese-made products.
Even if a finished brand is Korean, American, or Japanese, it doesn't mean every single component was made in that country.
The iPhone has been mass-produced in China for a long time, and Tesla operates a large factory in Shanghai.
Yet, no one tells an iPhone user that they are using a Chinese phone.
And no one calls a car made at the Tesla Shanghai factory a Chinese brand car.
That is how the modern manufacturing structure works.
The country that designs it,
the company that holds the brand,
the country that makes the parts,
and the country that assembles it—
these can all be different.
If there are issues like China's technology theft, government subsidies, or unfair trade practices, those should be criticized accordingly.
I have no intention of saying those things are good.
But product talk is a separate matter from that.
If you've used it and it's good, say it's good;
if it's bad, say it's bad.
What ultimately matters more than nationality is
whether this product is competitive.
That is it.
It is because it has become increasingly difficult to do business without including China.
I'm sure I'm not the only one.
That's why the phrase "If you hate Chinese products, just don't buy them" sounds a bit too simplistic to me.
An individual can choose not to buy based on preference.
But honestly, in our daily lives, we are likely already using a significant amount of goods made in China.
It's just that the brands attached to them are American, Japanese, or Korean, so it's not easily visible.
That is why lately, I don't view "Made in [Country]" as importantly as I used to.
I look at where it was made, but more importantly,
who designed it,
which factory made it,
how the quality was controlled,
and ultimately, I judge based on what kind of product was delivered at that price point.