Much to the relief of Chinese toy exporters, shoppers in the West have finally loosened their purse strings for the Christmas rush this year.

"This year's overseas demand for Christmas toys has been obviously stronger than that of the past few years, as economies in the US and Europe regained strength," said Zhou Yeliang, general manager of Weihai Teddy Toy Co in Shandong province.

The company saw a 50 percent yearly increase in Christmas toy orders this year. The exports were mainly destined for France and Germany.