Panasonic seeks design ideas from China to boost appliance unit

TOKYO -- Japan's Panasonic says it will emulate China's minimalist approach to designing consumer electronics as it struggles to fend off challenges from Chinese rivals such as Haier Group and the Midea Group, particularly in Southeast Asia.

"What we learned from China is ... to design products with specific capabilities and stripping down unnecessary features," said Masahiro Shinada, president and CEO of Panasonic Corp., the consumer electronics unit of the Japanese conglomerate.