Ceramics makers at crossroads of change

Though China has been famous for producing high-end porcelain for centuries, Chinese ceramics manufacturers are now at the crossroads of change.

Companies in Tangshan in Hebei province, one of China's ceramics production centers, have already made inroads in the highly competitive European and US bone china markets through e-commerce platforms and increasing investments to upgrade their production technologies and designs.

"We will no longer focus on original equipment manufacturer business models to make meager profits from foreign companies such as Starbucks Corp, IKEA Group and Hilton Group," said Shen Yu, general manager of Tangshan Shengshi Ceramics Co.