China Draws Tech Pilgrims as the Global Race for Innovation Accelerates

Humanoid robots operating on factory floors, powerful AI models competing with international rivals and massive electric-vehicle plants producing cars at remarkable speed are attracting a growing number of foreign visitors to China. Investors, entrepreneurs and technology executives are increasingly spending thousands of dollars to gain direct access to Chinese factories, hoping to understand the developments that could shape the next major wave of global technological change.

The growing interest reflects rising concerns about what some are calling a potential “China shock 2.0”. Companies and governments in the West are increasingly worried that Chinese firms may be gaining ground in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles and batteries.

Robert Wu, CEO of Shanghai-based research firm Baiguan, says China is increasingly being viewed by international business leaders as a place to study and learn from. He says this attitude was far less common just a few years ago. Wu has organised technology-focused tours for investors, entrepreneurs and executives, with some five-day programmes costing as much as $15,000. More than two dozen people have taken part so far, around half of them from Southeast Asia.

Wu is part of a growing network of businesses and individuals offering foreign visitors access to China's rapidly developing technology ecosystem. Many participants choose not to publicly discuss their trips because of commercial sensitivities. Among the international visitors reported to have travelled to China are executives and representatives linked to US investment firms such as Dimension, Capital Group and Thrive Capital, along with technology commentator Lex Fridman.

Although reliable figures on technology-focused tours are limited, China's wider industrial tourism industry is expanding rapidly. State media has reported that industrial tourism generated around $17.8 billion last year and could exceed 300 billion yuan, or roughly $44.6 billion, by 2029. Shanghai-based technology tour company GloPen has also reported a 50% increase in inquiries during 2026, mainly from customers in Europe and Singapore. The company now conducts more than 100 single-day corporate visits each month.

For many foreign executives, seeing China's factories firsthand provides a different perspective from simply studying reports or company presentations. Bertrand Chen, CEO of the Global Shipping Business Network, joined a robotics and emerging-technology tour in April and said the scale and speed of Chinese innovation are difficult to fully understand without physically visiting production facilities.

Rui Ma, the founder of Tech Buzz China, has organised 11 technology tours since 2019. She views these trips as a form of business research, arguing that companies do not necessarily have to invest directly in China to be affected by Chinese businesses. Chinese companies are increasingly becoming competitors, suppliers, partners or investment opportunities in markets around the world.

These technology tours commonly travel through major industrial centres including Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Hefei. These cities have become important hubs for electric vehicles, batteries, artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced manufacturing. International attention has also been drawn to facilities such as Xiaomi's electric-vehicle factory in Beijing. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for example, was recently filmed watching humanoid robots made by Chinese company Unitree perform in Hangzhou, highlighting the growing international interest in China's robotics industry.

The surge in visitors is not entirely spontaneous. Beijing has openly encouraged industrial tourism and has designated more than 140 official demonstration sites. An increasing number of factories are also offering tours to the public for relatively small fees, giving visitors the opportunity to see automated production lines and advanced manufacturing processes at close range. Xiaomi's EV factory is one example of the demand for such experiences. The facility has reportedly attracted more than 250,000 visitors since March 2024. Interest has been so strong that some limited-access tickets have reportedly appeared on online resale platforms for as much as 2,000 yuan, or about $300.

European business leaders appear particularly interested in China's approach as they deal with concerns over weak productivity growth and the rapid development of artificial intelligence and robotics. Alex Shengyun Lu, an AI consultant based in Shanghai, has organised several delegations for corporate visitors since late 2025. He says many European executives arrive with a strong desire to understand how Chinese companies are developing technology and how China's state-supported investment model contributes to large-scale deployment.

According to Lu, some visitors are particularly interested in how China can coordinate the adoption of AI technologies across different provinces and regions. They are looking for practical lessons that could potentially be applied in their own countries. The growing interest in China does not necessarily mean foreign companies believe Chinese technology has surpassed its global competitors across the board. Ma has stressed that non-Chinese technology companies continue to hold significant global market share, possess highly advanced intellectual property and generate some of the world's largest technology profits.

Despite continuing tensions between China and the United States, American technology and manufacturing professionals are also travelling to China. Joshua Woodard, a US manufacturing consultant based in Shenzhen, says companies involved in physical product development remain highly dependent on Chinese suppliers and components. In his view, political tensions have not eliminated the practical advantages of China's manufacturing ecosystem.

Shenzhen perhaps illustrates this transformation better than any other Chinese city. Once primarily associated with low-cost manufacturing, the southern technology hub has evolved into a major centre for electronics, robotics, artificial intelligence and hardware startups. The city is also preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in November, adding to its international profile.

Foreign arrivals to Shenzhen have increased substantially, while local businesses are adapting to the growing international presence. English-language services are becoming more common, foreign technology influencers are appearing at exhibitions and new workspaces are being created for overseas entrepreneurs interested in robotics and AI hardware.

Woodard says foreign startup founders regularly use online communities to exchange information about Chinese factories capable of producing batteries, displays and other components. Some entrepreneurs are also making short trips to Shenzhen under visa-free arrangements simply to identify potential manufacturing partners and assess whether Chinese suppliers can help develop their next product.

The transformation has made Shenzhen an increasingly important destination for international technology entrepreneurs. Czech entrepreneur Jan Smejkal, who has lived in the city for more than a decade, says requests from overseas startup founders looking to visit Shenzhen have become a regular occurrence. The growing flow of foreign visitors represents a broader shift in China's position within the global technology industry. China was once primarily regarded as a manufacturing centre where international companies could produce goods at lower costs. Today, its technology ecosystem covers everything from electric vehicles and batteries to artificial intelligence, robotics and consumer electronics.

While China still faces strong competition from the United States and other technology powers, its combination of manufacturing capacity, supply-chain networks, engineering talent and enormous domestic market has made it increasingly difficult for global companies to ignore. For many investors and entrepreneurs, travelling to China is therefore no longer simply a business trip. It has become an opportunity to see firsthand how quickly the country's technology sector is evolving and to determine what lessons, partnerships and competitive threats may emerge from its continued push toward technological leadership.

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