There are six outlets near where I live. Four restaurants and two mini markets or grocery stores. All within a 500m radius.

They are literally everywhere. The proliferation of mainland Chinese brands is unmissable. They are present in shopping malls, shop lots, and wherever there is people traffic. In sectors like food and beverage, retail, lifestyle, and services. 

In the food and beverage sector, names like Mixue (ice-cream and tea), Chagee (milk tea), Luckin Coffee (… another coffee outlet, hmm), Jipinhe Scones (flaky savoury meat pastry) and Haidilao (hotpot) are ubiquitous. So, it’s no surprise that there are some 18,000 or so non-local Chinese F&B brands operating in Malaysia. Of these, one third are hotpots.

From a customer perspective, the novelty and variety are welcomed.

My husband and I are not food connoisseurs or foodies. We don’t drive miles or wait in queues or make months ahead reservations just to have meals at restaurants that have high ratings or reviews. That said, we like some of the regional Chinese cuisines. Chongqing, for one, which we didn’t know about until now. I’m not sure if I can always tell cuisines apart but what we’ve had have been different and mostly tasty. We also like the chicken filling and flaky pastry from Jipinhe Scones.

Hotpots, not so much. They remind me of steamboat. We don’t particularly like soup and cooking our own food. Accepted, it comprises prepared food like chopped meats and vegetables that have to be dunked/blanched/cooked in a large pot of steaming hot water. It still requires effort on our part.

In retail, I’m glad for Pop Mart. Yes, the globally successfully company that sells collectible toys like Labubu and Space Molly. Yes, my Space Molly, and other figurines in a blind box format. Space Molly cheers me up plenty.

Anta and Li Ning are two sportswear names that I’ve noticed but have not yet made any purchase. From the fashion store HLA, I’ve two items to my name. Thanks to my Sinnavan. Similarly, I have bought several silk hydrangeas for my mum’s resting place from global online marketplace, Temu. Its owned by Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings.

And, of course, I get nuts, vitamins, puzzles, and hairclips that I cannot find and/or be bothered to look for in brick-and-mortar stores from Lazada, a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia. It is part of the Alibaba Group.

For smartphones and consumer electronics, names like Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo have steadily gained prominence here. They are present alongside US and South Korean brand names. I’ve a Samsung, and I’ve not considered migrating only because I’m too comfortable with my current make. And, too lazy to learn anything new.

In the EV sphere, I see many sleek looking BYDs, Cherys and Zeekrs on the roads. Equally stylish are EV models from Proton, Volvo, and BMW. I would consider an EV when I can charge my car at my parking bay at my condo.

I didn’t know this. Tuhu, a car service chain that operates more than 7,200 workshops in China, has been providing repair and maintenance services with apparently more transparent pricing in Malaysia, since 2025.

Chinese companies are also active in the construction sector. They build high-rise buildings, and are involved in infrastructure projects like the East Coast Railway Link.

That said, it also feels a little deja-vu’ish.

I remember Japanese supermarkets like Yaohan, Hankyu Jaya, and Jaya Jusco opening up in the mid-to-late 1980’s. A Hankyu Jaya supermarket opened in Alor Setar in 1985. Retail outlets such as Uniqlo (clothing) and Kinokuniya (bookstore) are doing well while Japanese restaurants and food continue to be popular. And, Japanese construction companies still operate in Malaysia.

There’s also a significant Korean influence in Malaysia. We have Korean restaurants, convenience stores, K-Pop, skincare, and Korean dramas. Names like Dodo Korea, Koryo-Won, K-Plus Food Mart, The Face Shop, Sulwhasoo and Squid Game are very well-liked.

Middle-Eastern shops and restaurants like Mahnaz Food, Tarbush and YaHala also have high visibility. While delicacies like ‘kunafa’ and ‘baklava’ have become part of the local diet. This is in addition to French, Italian, and other European cuisines, foods, and companies that form part of the local tapestry. Plus, the too many fast-food imports that are everywhere. 

Agreed, the prevalence of Chinese companies and Chinese people can seem overwhelming, and sometimes it is. There are many who live and work in the country or visit as tourists. We have quite a few Chinese nationals in our condominium.  

So how?

Apart from offering more choices and competitive prices, opening the doors to foreign companies should hopefully bring positive spillover effects to locals in terms of employment and technology transfer. And, real participation of local contractors/businesses in supply chains and more concerted sourcing and usage of local raw materials.

Prospering together rather than beggaring others is better for business sustainability and socio-economic well-being. Yes? Yes.