China’s rapid advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and electric vehicles are attracting a growing number of foreign investors, entrepreneurs and technology executives.
Many are travelling to Chinese factories to see the country’s manufacturing capabilities first-hand and understand technologies that could shape the next global industrial revolution.
The trend reflects growing concerns in Western business circles about a possible “China shock 2.0”, as Chinese companies expand their presence in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.
Foreign Executives Study China’s Technology Rise
Robert Wu, chief executive of Shanghai-based data research firm Baiguan, said China had increasingly become a destination for foreign executives seeking to learn about technological innovation.
Wu has organised two five-day technology tours for more than two dozen investors, entrepreneurs and executives. The programmes cost up to $15,000, with about half of the participants coming from Southeast Asia.
He said many visitors arrive with assumptions about China’s technological capabilities that do not always match reality.
For example, some believe China’s robotaxi industry has already surpassed the United States, while domestic concerns over potential job losses have limited the sector’s expansion.
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Wu is part of a growing industry offering foreign visitors access to China’s technology and manufacturing ecosystem.
Demand for Factory Tours Surges
Some visitors prefer not to publicise their trips. Known participants have included US investment firms Dimension, Capital Group and Thrive Capital, as well as technology podcaster Lex Fridman.
China’s wider industrial tourism sector is also expanding rapidly.
State media reported that industrial tourism generated $17.8 billion last year. The sector is projected to exceed 300 billion yuan, or about $44.6 billion, by 2029.
Shanghai-based technology tour company GloPen said inquiries increased 50% in 2026, mainly from European and Singaporean clients.
The company now organises more than 100 single-day company tours each month.
‘You Cannot Grasp Innovation From a Distance’
Bertrand Chen, chief executive of the Global Shipping Business Network, joined a robotics and emerging technology tour covering three Chinese cities in April.
He said visitors needed to experience Chinese factories directly to understand the scale and speed of technological development.
Rui Ma, founder of Tech Buzz China, has organised 11 similar tours since 2019.
She describes the visits as a form of due diligence, arguing that companies are increasingly likely to encounter Chinese businesses as competitors, suppliers, partners or investment opportunities around the world.
The tours typically cover major technology and manufacturing centres including Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Hefei.
These cities sit at the heart of China’s expansion in electric vehicles, batteries, artificial intelligence and robotics.
China Turns Factories Into Technology Showcases
China has actively encouraged industrial tourism as part of its effort to showcase manufacturing capabilities.
Beijing has designated more than 140 official industrial tourism demonstration sites, while an increasing number of factories offer public tours for about $60.
Xiaomi’s electric-vehicle factory in Beijing has attracted more than 250,000 visitors since March 2024.
Demand has reportedly become so strong that some entry slots allocated through lotteries are resold online for up to 2,000 yuan, or about $300.
China’s technology rise has attracted particular attention from European executives facing weak productivity growth and concerns about falling behind in AI and robotics.
Alex Shengyun Lu, a Shanghai-based AI consultant at Praxis Advisory, has led seven delegations of up to 50 corporate visitors since late 2025.
He said many European executives were arriving with a genuine desire to understand what Chinese companies were doing differently.
Visitors are particularly interested in China’s ability to coordinate technology deployment across provinces and the role of state-backed investment in developing emerging industries.
Experts Warn Against Overstating China’s Lead
Not everyone believes China has already overtaken its global competitors.
Rui Ma said non-Chinese technology companies still control most of the global market, possess leading intellectual property and generate the largest profits.
Nevertheless, interest in China remains strong, even among American visitors amid growing US-China technology tensions.
Joshua Woodard, a US manufacturing consultant based in Shenzhen, said companies focused on building physical products often remained dependent on Chinese manufacturing and components.
He argued that completely separating US robotics companies from Chinese supply chains would be extremely difficult.
Shenzhen Becomes a Magnet for Foreign Entrepreneurs
Few places illustrate China’s technology transformation more clearly than Shenzhen.
The southern technology hub has evolved from a low-cost manufacturing centre into a major base for advanced technology and hardware development.
Shenzhen is also preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in November.
Foreign visitor numbers increased 70% last year and rose by more than 30% in the first quarter, according to figures cited in the report.
The city has introduced more English-language services, while foreign technology influencers increasingly feature at local exhibitions.
Woodard said local companies were also establishing Silicon Valley-style “hacker houses” where foreign robotics and AI hardware entrepreneurs can live and work.
He said online groups connecting entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and Shenzhen now help founders identify factories producing components such as batteries and displays.
From Manufacturing Hub to Innovation Centre
Shenzhen’s appeal reflects its broader transformation from a production base into a centre for technological development.
Foreign entrepreneurs are increasingly visiting the city to identify suppliers, develop prototypes and understand China’s rapidly evolving technology ecosystem.
Czech entrepreneur Jan Smejkal, who has lived in Shenzhen for 11 years, said foreign startup founders regularly approached him for advice about visiting the city.
The growing flow of international visitors suggests that China is no longer viewed only as a manufacturing centre.
For many investors and technology entrepreneurs, it has become a place to study how innovation moves from laboratories and factories into everyday life.
