As much of Europe struggles to escape a record heat wave, Chinese portable air conditioners and handheld fans are selling briskly across the continent. Chinese state media have covered the phenomenon extensively, highlighting the country's manufacturing supply capacity.
According to foreign news reports Sunday, Europe is approaching its longest heat wave on record, with abnormally high temperatures that began in late May recurring three times. Andujar, Spain, soared to 45.1 degrees Celsius on June 22, marking Europe's highest temperature this summer, while Pissos, France, set a new French record at 44.3 degrees.
The heat later spread to Eastern Europe, with 41.7 degrees recorded in Cottbus in Germany's Brandenburg state, 41.9 degrees in the Czech Republic, and 40.5 degrees in Poland—its highest in 105 years since 1921.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 1,300 excess deaths occurred in Europe between June 21 and 28, with over 1,000 of them in France. The heat wave did not subside into July, with a third high-pressure system in the form of a so-called "omega heat dome" forming, raising the possibility of further record-breaking.
Amid this, Chinese exports of cooling products are rising sharply. According to the General Administration of Customs of China, air conditioner exports to France in May rose 186.2% from a year earlier, while those to the Netherlands increased 139.1% and Germany 69.6%.
Chinese home appliance maker TCL said air conditioner sales in the France region rose more than 300% from a year earlier, with 100% growth in Spain as well. Stocks of portable air conditioners piled up in warehouses in the U.K., France, and Germany have already been depleted. TCL has shortened its production cycle from the usual 30 to 40 days to 10 days and is even considering chartered flight transport.
Chinese local media have also spotlighted the phenomenon one after another. China.com reported that the surge in demand for cooling equipment in Europe has kept domestic factories running day and night, adding that jokes have emerged comparing the situation to sewing machines running without rest.
A home appliance company in Guangdong province, which produces split-type air conditioners that can be used without installing an outdoor unit, said its sales rose from about 80,000 units annually last year to more than 200,000 units this year through dealer channels alone.
Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily, in its "China Observation" column, noted that Chinese portable products have emerged as an alternative in Europe, where installing standard air conditioners is difficult due to France's refrigerant regulations, Germany's noise standards, and Italy's regulations protecting old buildings. It also reported that a video parodying Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" to depict a Chinese portable air conditioner as a gift from God had spread online.
