In the middle of a heat wave, Europeans turn to the venerable Chinese air conditioner

All this has been hailed by the Chinese media as a winner of Made in China goods – a designation normally associated with low quality and often cheaply made products.

“The importance of Chinese air conditioners to Europeans is not only a business phenomenon, but also a microcosm of ‘China-style development’,” read a commentary in state-run People’s Daily.

In fact, European PortaSplit owners told the BBC that they were surprised to learn that it came from a Chinese brand.

“In terms of marketing and design, I wasn’t familiar with old Chinese products. It was more modern,” says Scholtisek in Germany. “Also, when I get it, the quality is comparable to what I’m used to in Europe or elsewhere.”

In the year Launched in Germany in 2024, Portasplit is a combination of “German engineering” from the Media Research Center in Stuttgart and is advertised on its website as “Italian Design”.

It’s part of a “general shift” in China’s tech product image, Scholtysek says, from drone maker DJI to electric vehicle brands.

And after buying PortaSplit, Scholtysek even decided to buy Midea stock – a sign of his faith in the company’s prospects.

This confidence is also shared by those in the media. “They see huge long-term growth potential in Europe,” Ralf Kobsik, general manager of Media Europe operations, told the BBC.

The company “constantly invests in technologies that meet the specific requirements of European users,” he said.

One of those satisfied users is Adrien Ollard in France, who recently bought his first air conditioner: the Media Portasplit.

“This is probably my first Chinese product,” the 26-year-old said, describing it as a “revolution.” Days before his Portasplit arrival, he used water dripping on his face to cool down at home.

But those days are now behind Olar: “When I walk into my room, it’s like walking into a fridge. It’s a very, very good difference.”