As record-breaking temperatures scorch Europe and kill more than 1,300 people in a matter of days, a stark divide has emerged. On one side, European politicians are still debating whether air conditioning is politically correct. On the other side, a made-in-China solution is flying off the shelves, and Chinese factories are working around the clock to meet urgent demand that Europe cannot satisfy on its own.
Chaos in the aisles
In France, where only around 20% to 25% of households have air conditioning, compared with more than 90% in the United States, the heat has triggered panic buying and brawls.
"WATCH: Fights are breaking out inside stores across France as shoppers scramble to buy fans and air conditioners amid the country's extreme heat wave," posted Breaking911 on X. Video footage showed shoppers pushing and shoving each other in Chambray-lès-Tours as they raced to grab cooling units after a store opened. In some cases, shoppers were reportedly injured in the scramble.
In the UK, the desperation was equally palpable. "I was checking for an AC to buy on B&Q's website because of the heat," wrote @TobyWrites on X. "Please see how many people viewed it today." The product page showed that 117,546 people had viewed a single air conditioner listing in the last 24 hours.
London bus drivers have also been collapsing in the heat. One driver, filmed by @Benonwine, had to pull over and pour a bucket of water over his head to cool down. "My office is 35 degrees," the driver said, though the thermometer on camera read 36.8 °C. He then addressed London Mayor Sadiq Khan directly: "What temperature is your office?"
In France, the consequences were even more dire. "A bus driver in France crashed today because he fainted due to the heat, having no AC in the bus," posted @levelsio on X.
In Germany, the heat has literally melted local public infrastructure. "Germany is literally melting in the heat," posted NEXTA on X. "In Leipzig, the extreme temperatures caused the sealant used around tram tracks to melt. It seeped into the rails and track switches before hardening into large clumps."
The view from social media: mockery, but also exasperation
As Europeans swelter, some online voices have not held back. "Chinese people are trolling Europeans by posting videos on social media showing that even their pigs have air conditioning, while many Europeans can't because of government rules," posted Saffron Sniper on X. The video has been viewed 8.4 million times.
"Hey Europoors. I just got AC installed. In my garage. For my dogs. And I don't even live in the South. My dogs live better than you do. I care more about my dogs than your govt cares about you," posted @pudgenet. The post received 16 million views.
"I literally don't care about Europeans suffering in the heat. Modern air conditioning was invented in 1902. They made their choice," posted Rex (@R89Capital).
The Guangdong solution: action, not argument
Chinese factories are not waiting for the debate to end. They are shipping.
Midea, the appliance giant based in Foshan, Guangdong, has rolled out a product that bypasses almost every obstacle Europeans face: the PortaSplit mobile split air conditioner. It requires no wall drilling, fixed external unit, planning permission, or professional installer, and can be set up in just 10 minutes. Priced between €699 and €900, it costs far less than a conventional European installation, whose labour fees alone range from €1,000 to €2,000.
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
The numbers tell the story. In the first half of 2026, Chinese air conditioner exports to the EU reached $3.76 billion, up 43.2% year on year, a record high. Exports to France, the Netherlands, and Belgium all doubled. Midea's PortaSplit sales have surpassed 200,000 units to date, twice their 2025 volume. In Germany alone, half-year sales exceeded 60,000 units. In France and Spain, shipments jumped by 108%.
On Amazon, the product has sold out across multiple countries, with waiting times stretching into August. On secondary markets, units that retail for around €700 are being flipped for two to three times the price. Austrian consumers have driven 200 kilometres across borders to find one in stock.
"Trust me, this is the best investment of your life," one German user posted. "The genius who invented it should be rewarded handsomely. 30 degrees down to 23, it's the choice of the century," wrote a French user. "I haven't slept for a week. Bought it, living room at 20 degrees, I'm alive. AC is king. Buy Midea, even if you have to borrow money."
Behind these sales is a supply chain built for rapid delivery. Midea's just-in-time manufacturing in Guangdong, combined with dedicated shipping routes and European warehousing facilities, has allowed the brand to restock store shelves within days, while European retailers struggle with massive order backlogs. Chinese manufacturers identified unmet demand, designed a product suited to Europe's unique constraints, and scaled up mass production quickly.
The cost gap helps explain why Chinese manufacturers are winning this market. In China, a standard air conditioner plus installation costs around $260, and running it 12 hours a day adds just $26 to the monthly electricity bill. This affordability stems from China's extensive power infrastructure and the fact that China produces roughly 80% of the world's ACs. In Europe, installation alone can run €1,000 to €2,000, electricity is roughly four to five times higher, and permit approvals often take months. No wonder European consumers hesitate while Chinese factories keep shipping.
A continent at a crossroads
Europe is not merely suffering a heatwave. It is facing a collision between ideology and reality.
The continent that prides itself on climate leadership is discovering that its infrastructure, hospitals, buses, schools, and homes are dangerously unprepared for the world it helped create. And its political class, sitting comfortably in air-conditioned offices, is telling a sweltering, desperate public to plant more trees.
And yet, perhaps nothing captures this moment better than the image of France's Environment Minister, sitting in an air-conditioned studio on BFM TV, expressing her horror at the very idea of cooling the public because of climate change concerns. Her own ministry, as Mario Nawfal pointed out on X, has AC running just fine. "Europe's green agenda in action: you suffer, we don't." Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers see a problem to be solved. And somewhere in Paris, in a cool ministry office, a politician is probably tweeting about trees.
Ironically, China is also planting trees in the desert.
The Kubuqi Desert, China's seventh-largest, is located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Photo: Xinhua)
Author | Feng Huiting
