Rice from Thailand, blueberries from Chile, Australian seafood, French wine ... Zheng Meiqin is one among many new connoisseurs of imported goods that her local supermarket sells these days. In the store in east China's Fuzhou city, Zheng, 50, implements a prudent but proactive shopping policy.

"I love the wide variety of fruit, but the best value is in German beer and Australian milk which are even cheaper than some domestic brands," she said.

A large proportion of Zheng's household goods are also imported - from a Sanyo electric cooker to a Siemens washing machine.