Chinese cooling appliance manufacturers have seen a surge in overseas orders, with factories ramping up production to meet the growing demand, as Europe grapples with intensifying heatwaves these days and low household air conditioning coverage.
Data showed that only about 20 percent of European households have air conditioning installed. With cooling needs rising sharply amid extreme temperatures, export orders for Chinese-made air conditioners have continued to climb. At a factory of JiangMen POSI Refrigeration Appliance Co., Ltd. in south China's Guangdong Province, workers will still be on the assembly line at 19:00 in recent days, hurrying to complete shipments bound for overseas markets.
The factory primarily produces installation-free portable air conditioners, which have proven especially popular in Europe. Since January, workers have been working extended hours to keep up with the fulfillment of orders, with about 60 percent of the factory's output exported to Europe.
Workers have been assembling components at full speed. Since March, export orders from Europe has risen significantly. In May alone, the company exported more than 800,000 units, marking a year-on-year increase of 20.3 percent.
"Our European market accounts for 70 percent of our total overseas sales. Our products are sold mainly to countries such as France, Germany and Spain. In May, the number of our orders reached more than 900,000 units," said Shi Chunbo, CFO of JiangMen POSI Refrigeration Appliance Co., Ltd.
Company executives said that many residential buildings in Europe are relatively old, with strict regulations governing exterior modifications. Traditional split-type air conditioners often require complex installation procedures and approval processes. In contrast, portable units made by Chinese manufacturers require no outdoor compressor and no wall drilling, making them well-suited for local homes, apartments and shops.
As overseas orders for home appliances continue to grow and shipment schedules tighten, customs authorities have introduced measures to streamline export procedures. The Jiangmen Customs Office has established a dedicated declaration window for the export of cooling appliances to facilitate faster clearance.
"In the first five months of this year, Jiangmen's air conditioner exports to Europe totaled 880 million yuan (about 129 million U.S. dollars), up 15.4 percent year on year," said Zhong Wenhui, an official with the Jiangmen Customs Office.
Chinese portable air conditioner makers see surge in European exports as heatwave fuels demand
Uhas Sulayman, a model physician in Yumin County of northwest China's remote Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has devoted his career to safeguarding the health of local nomadic herders.
Sulayman was one of the eight recipients of the July 1 Medal, the Chinese Communist Party's highest honor, personally conferred by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a ceremony held in the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing on Wednesday morning.
For decades, Sulayman traveled through rugged mountains to provide medical care for herders in Yumin County.
"It was Dr. Uhas who brought me back from the brink of death. I'm 68 years old now, and I'm deeply grateful to him. Many of the people he saved have grown old or passed away, and he has delivered so many children here. He even delivered my brother's two kids. He is like family to us, and we respect him deeply," said Mushelbek Rahymbay, a local herder.
Since graduating in 1975, Sulayman turned down comfortable jobs in the city, choosing instead to serve these pastoral communities.
"The hospital told me back then that doctors were desperately needed in the pastoral areas and the herders had so many illnesses and hardships. So I said, 'I'll go.' The roads were terrible in those days. Most of the time, we had to walk for hours. In winter, the snow was so deep that we had to ride horses," he said.
Over the decades, Sulayman has treated over 100,000 patients and delivered more than 3,200 babies.
After retirement, he continues to serve at a health center in a community, offering free clinics three days a week.
Local herders speak of him with deep gratitude and affection. One of his patients recalled a life-threatening obstructed labor in the winter of 1987 and said he is a doctor that truly cares about people.
"When the baby was finally born, she was all purple and didn't make a sound. But Dr. Uhas didn't even hesitate, he just leaned right down and used his own mouth to suck the fluids out of her throat, bringing my baby back to life. He is a doctor who truly cares about people," said Algha Raykhan, a local herder, adding that the baby Sulayman saved is now a 39-year-old mother of four.
Sulayman knew that long-term healthcare could not rely on one man alone. In 2023, he launched a voluntary medical service project that has since grown into a 300-member team. Inspired by his spirit, a new generation has stepped up.
"I have been patrolling the pastures with him for 20 years. Seeing him -- day or night, in rain or snow -- always rushing to the herders whenever they needed him deeply moved me. His sense of responsibility inspired me to stay, take over his baton, and keep serving the herders," said Erjan Kukan, a pastoral doctor of the Yumin County Pastoral Hospital.
Model physician devoted to providing medical care for nomadic herders in northwest China's Xinjiang
