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Purpose – The purpose of this study was to explore Chinese consumers’ motivations for purchasing luxury products, and to unravel the interrelationships among individual differences, motives, and luxury consumption.

Methodology – Data were collected from general consumers living in a large cosmopolitan city of China. A total of 473 questionnaires provided usable data and were analyzed using SPSS.

Findings – Eight motives were identified: self-actualization, product quality, social comparison, others’ influence, investment for future, gifting, special occasions, and emotional purchasing. Results showed that personal income, age, the motives of gifting, others’ influence, and product quality were significant predictors of luxury spending. Younger consumers, who did not typically make plans before buying, were more likely to buy luxury products out of emotion and less likely to do so for self-actualization or future investment.

Research limitations – The conceptualization and operationalization of some concepts used in this study (e.g., luxury brands, luxury consumption, and motives) may not be robust. Social desirability bias could comprise the validity of some research findings.

Originality – Despite a large body of research on luxury consumption, to date, most studies have been conducted in Western developed countries. Past research has showed that the symbolic and social values related to luxury consumption are deeply embedded in culture. As such, it is meaningful to investigate luxury consumption in China, whose culture is vastly different from the West.

As a rising power, China has become increasingly interested in many problems in its region and on a global scale. China's investments in Europe and its strong economic relations with European economies have greatly increased its interest in Europe. In this context, in this study, China's approach to two case studies that have had a very serious impact on Europe in the recent period is discussed. These two events, which have both political and economic effects on the European Union and European countries, are Brexit and COVID-19. In this study, how China approaches these two events and what policies it implements will be shown. China's post-Brexit relations with the United Kingdom and comments on Brexit will be also shown. In the other case study, China's aids to European countries in the COVID-19 process and the image it wants to establish with these aids will be discussed. China's approach to these two events will be shared through the discourses of Chinese officials, especially Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and from the literature. As a result, it will be mentioned that China supports countries that need and cooperate with European countries based on economic relations in major crises.