A new generation of Chinese consumer brands — from bubble-tea chains and toy makers to electric-vehicle manufacturers and sportswear giants — is rapidly expanding across international markets, challenging the long-held perception that "Made in China" means cheap and low-quality goods. Companies such as Mixue (a budget ice cream and bubble-tea chain that now operates more outlets worldwide than McDonald's or Starbucks), Pop Mart (whose Labubu figurines became a global craze largely through social media, with US sales up 900% since 2024), and BYD (which has overtaken Tesla as the world's largest electric-vehicle maker) are leading the charge. Analysts say the push abroad — known in China as "chuhai," or "sailing outward" — is driven partly by fierce domestic competition and a slowing home economy, with more than 70% of Chinese firms operating in Southeast Asia planning further international expansion.