You would never guess: China's home appliances can be regarded as a microcosm of the nation's fortune.

For some time, people have been discussing the issue of China's national fortune. From DeepSeek's sudden emergence, challenging OpenAI and Nvidia, to Unitree Robotics' dazzling performance on the Spring Festival Gala, which amazed the world with the power of technology, the topic of the nation's prosperity has become a hot topic of conversation after meals.

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Believing that recent years have been a historical moment of China's national fortune is by no means an empty claim or a manifestation of arrogance. Clear facts over the past few years show that the national fortune is indeed coming our way.

Chinese company Unitree Robotics stunned the world with its "handkerchief throwing" performance, demonstrating that China's autonomous technology is highly mature. Robots are no longer just concepts in laboratories; they can operate stably in public places and even perform street duties. A complete industrial chain has been formed, not relying on a single enterprise, but with multiple companies possessing similar capabilities. The application scenarios of robots are expanding and being implemented, from industrial manufacturing to service, security, and other fields, where robots are accelerating their deployment.

DeepSeek AI – Breaking Nvidia's dominance, Chinese AI is ushering in a breakthrough moment. Among them, DeepSeek has made revolutionary breakthroughs: first, it is more optimized for Chinese; second, it excels in mathematical and logical reasoning, even surpassing GPT-4 in mathematical reasoning and code generation; third, it adopts an innovative architecture: the Mixture of Experts (MoE), which significantly reduces computational costs. Compared to OpenAI's closed model, DeepSeek provides an open-source version, promoting the development of the developer ecosystem.

Sixth-generation aircraft, amphibious assault ships, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and more, mark breakthroughs in China's military technology. This series of military advancements signifies that China is gradually transitioning from a follower to a leader, becoming a major force in global military technological competition in several key areas. The global military landscape will also see a new round of changes and confrontations as a result.

Of course, there's much more than that. For example, the influx of "TikTok refugees" into Xiaohongshu, with Xiaohongshu ranking first in the Apple US region; 100 million degrees Celsius, 1066 seconds! China's "artificial sun" sets a new global record in nuclear fusion; the explosive popularity of "Black Myth: Wukong," spreading the global influence of Chinese culture; unilateral visa exemptions, changing the 144-hour transit visa-free period to 240 hours, and the booming China Travel, all of which indicate China's rising national fortune and a promising future.

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Those points mentioned earlier represent the broader aspects of China's flourishing national fortune, marking the true entry of Chinese technology into a new era. This is not just about technological breakthroughs, but an overall leap in the industrial chain. In the coming years, AI, robotics, new energy... will profoundly change the global landscape, and through Chinese apps, Chinese games, etc., Chinese culture will influence the world in a more down-to-earth way.

In fact, the development of China's home appliance industry over the past 40 years since the reform and opening up is also a microcosm of the journey of the nation's prosperity. The home appliance industry in China has gone from nothing to something, from small to large, from imitation and learning to independent innovation, from assembly to a complete industrial chain, from OEM production to the rise of its own brands, and from operating in the domestic market to standing at the center of the world stage. The home appliance industry in China has entered a period of mature development.

Currently, China's home appliance industry already possesses the basic characteristics of maturity. First, it has a complete industrial chain. For example, chips for various home appliances can basically be produced independently within the country; second, it has mastered core technologies in home appliances, with its innovative capabilities clearly demonstrated globally; third, it has formed a complete brand matrix. There are comprehensive home appliance brands like Haier and Midea, air conditioning giants like Gree, TV giants like Hisense, TCL, and Changhong, kitchen appliance leading brands like Fangtai, Boss, and Huadi, and top living appliance brands like Galanz and Joyoung, among many others. The improvement in the overall strength of China's home appliance industry has solidified its position and image in the global market.

Taking all these points together, the home appliance industry in China can proudly say: first, from relying on imports to independent innovation, symbolizing the rise of the country's manufacturing sector; second, the ability to cope with domestic and international economic challenges, reflecting the resilience of the national economy; third, driven by policy support and market demand, promoting industrial upgrading, which represents the implementation of the national economic strategy; fourth, the prominent competitiveness in the global home appliance market, representing the enhancement of the country's overall strength.

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China's home appliance industry is referred to as a "microcosm of the nation's fortune," due to its development trajectory being highly synchronized with the national economy, technological strength, and the process of globalization. This is specifically reflected in the following aspects:

1. A microcosm of manufacturing transformation, from follower to leader. In its early stages, China's home appliance industry relied on technology input from foreign brands. However, through the integration of the industrial chain and continuous investment in research and development, it ultimately achieved a situation where domestic brands dominate the market. For example, Haier and Midea, by establishing high-end sub-brands (Casarte, COLMO), broke the monopoly of foreign brands and secured significant positions among the 103 global "Lighthouse Factories," becoming benchmarks for smart manufacturing globally. This transformation from "Made in China" to "Created in China" directly reflects the overall upgrading path of Chinese manufacturing.

2. Resilience in facing internal and external challenges, wisdom for survival during economic downturns. In response to the pressure of a global economic downturn, home appliance companies have adopted strategies such as cost optimization through layoffs and cross-industry mergers and acquisitions to mitigate risks. The domestic market needs to overcome the "three mountains" — low consumer confidence, cooling real estate, and demographic pressures. This ability to navigate and adapt within an existing market mirrors the self-adjustment mechanisms of the national economy in complex environments, demonstrating clear representativeness.

3. Dual-driven by policy and market, serving as a vehicle for the circular strategy. The home appliance industry is a key driver for expanding domestic demand. The state continuously stimulates consumption upgrades through policies like "trade-in for new" and promotes green energy conservation and digital transformation based on the Outline of Strategic Plan for Expanding Domestic Demand, creating a synergistic effect between policy guidance and market competition. This reflects the balanced logic of "an effective market + a proactive government" in national economic governance.

IV. Pioneers of Global Competition: The Embodiment of National Soft and Hard Power. Currently, Chinese home appliance products cover 160 countries and regions worldwide, serving over 2 billion households, primarily through the export of proprietary brands and technology. Haier and Midea have accelerated their global layout through A+H share structures and overseas capital operations. This upgrade from "product going global" to "brand going global" not only reflects the international competitiveness of China's manufacturing industry but also serves as an important vehicle for the country's economic diplomacy and cultural influence.

The development of China's home appliance industry encapsulates the entire process of the nation's technological catch-up, industrial upgrading, and global competition. Its strategies for responding to crises and seizing opportunities are deeply intertwined with the pulse of the national economy. Just as iterative demands in the existing market can still create new spaces, innovation has become a new driving force for development. The continuous vitality of the home appliance industry also foretells the resilience and potential of the Chinese economy, is it not also a microcosm of the country's fortune?