It may still be a few years before they are a really good match, but they are coming and at prices that will undercut the big Japanese companies by some way. Finally, the Japanese will have met their match.
Either the Japanese will leave the market altogether or they will design in Japan and make in China. Some will exit stage left, never to return, or some will decide on the latter course. My bets are on ICOM being the one company to adapt and survive. I am no expert though. Yaesu? Kenwood? We'll soon see.
One example is the Xiegu-108G which retails well below 500 Euros. Not bad for a 20W HF portable transceiver. It already has quite good reviews. Give the Chinese a couple of years and their products will be as good as any Japanese radio, but at much lower cost.
Most things you buy say "Made in China" whatever it is, simply because their labour costs and parts costs are so low. The best we can hope for is a price war (for survival) amongst the Japanese in the short-term. The writing is on the wall for them. Either they find some way to reduce their prices or bye bye.
5 years hence? Goodness only knows.
