2015年经济学人 高科技环卫 抄底竞价（在线收听）

High-tech sanitation

Race to the bottom

A rush to buy Japanese toilet-seats prompts soul-searching in China

JAPAN is often viewed with antipathy in China, but increasingly commerce is trumping contempt.

During the lunar new-year holiday in February, Chinese tourists thronged to Japan in record numbers.

Many came home lugging a high-end Japanese luxury: a heated toilet-seat complete with pulsating water jets,

deodorisers and even music to drown out less melodious tinklings.

In recent weeks the run on Japanese loos has been a topic of much debate among Chinese commentators, revealing deep insecurities.

Chinese visitors bought more high-tech lavatory seats than almost any other Japanese product during the week-long break,

according to Hottolink, a Japanese consulting firm. Most popular was a new variety with hands-free lid opening, say staff at a branch in Tokyo of Bic Camera,

a consumer electronics store where Chinese shoppers are so numerous that signs advertise wares in Chinese and assistants speak Mandarin.

These cost around 65,000 (540). Some bought several seats, including portable, battery-powered ones.

Relations between China and Japan have shown recent, tentative signs of warmth after a long chill.

But only three years ago demonstrators in several Chinese cities called for a boycott of Japanese goods in protest against Japan's stance in a still-festering dispute over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.

Some Japanese companies responded by minimising or hiding their branding on products sold in China.

China's state-controlled media have found little comfort in the discovery that many Japanese loos are actually made-to-order in China,

a situation that is not confined to the water closet. Many Chinese consumers do not trust the reliability of such items sold at home—

and refuse to pay the often higher prices charged for export-standard goods.

The thorny issue was even raised during meetings this month of China's parliament and its advisory body.

The prime minister, Li Keqiang, chimed in, calling for Chinese firms to raise the quality of their own seats.

“At least that could save consumers the price of a plane ticket,” he said.

Relations between the two countries may become bogged down in yet another intractable rivalry.