Chinese shoppers flocked to Japan to buy toilet seats during the Chinese New Year holiday, making a splash in the Chinese media and sparking off a heated debate at the ongoing annual sessions of China's legislator and its top political advisory body in Beijing.

Dong Mingzhu, a deputy to the National People's Congress and president of the home appliance maker Gree.[Photo / Xinhua]

The Japanese toilet seat buying frenzy has raised one question: Why would the Chinese go all the way to Japan to shop for something they could get on their home turf? Delegates at the two sessions shared their views.

Dong Mingzhu, a deputy to the National People's Congress and president of the home appliance maker Gree, acknowledged a disparity between the quality of Japanese and Chinese goods, saying that Chinese companies were dishonest in the past and lost trust from customers.

The frenzy was largely caused by a micro blog post by a famous Chinese finance writer Wu Xiaobo on his Sina Weibo account, "Go to Japan to buy a toilet seat," in which he touted the wares, calling them easy to use.

During the Chinese Spring Festival this year, up to 450,000 Chinese tourists flew to Japan and spent nearly 6 billion yuan (US$1 billion) in the country.

Pan Haoxuan, a deputy to the National People's Congress and president of home alliance maker Jinling Group based in Guangdong Province, sniffed at the buying spree.

"I don't think it is a warning to Chinese manufacturers. Instead, I think the Chinese media made a fuss," said Pan. "Such buying is normal, as over the past decade, Chinese tourists have been keen to buy home appliances and cosmetics in Japan, just like souvenirs."

He added, "Given that China makes 60 percent of the home appliances in the global market, such buying doesn't mean anything."

The Japanese toilet seat story also pointed to one of China's key struggles as it tries to shift its economy from one driven by exports and manufacturing to one that is more dependent on consumer spending.

Reputable Chinese economist Li Yining said that it is not a good thing for China that so many Chinese like shopping overseas. He suggested that Chinese companies make their products more human-oriented to win the hearts of Chinese customers.

"The toilet seat story shows that the Chinese economy and products need upgrading," said Yang Yuanqing, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of Lenovo Group. "To solve the issue, we should establish and foster brands of our own."

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