Western executives flock to China on costly technology tours

Five-day technology tours of China can cost as much as $15,000, yet foreign investors and corporate executives are paying for access to factories and innovation hubs they believe could reveal the next wave of technological change.

The tours have grown as Chinese humanoid robots enter factories, artificial intelligence models challenge global competitors and electric-vehicle production expands at remarkable speed. U.S. startup founders have traveled to Shenzhen to source hardware components, while European executives have sought to understand how Chinese companies operate and how government support for technology investment works.

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If you do not go to a Chinese factory yourself, you cannot truly understand the scale, speed and practical results of Chinese innovation.

Robert Wu, chief executive of Shanghai data research firm Baiguan, said few people considered China a place to study several years ago. He has since arranged two tours for more than 20 investors, entrepreneurs and executives, about half of them from Southeast Asia. Shanghai-based technology travel company GloPen said inquiries from European and Singaporean customers rose 50% in 2026, and that it now organizes more than 100 one-day corporate tours each month.

Known participants include U.S. investment firms Dimension, Capital Group and Thrive Capital, as well as U.S. technology podcast host Lex Fridman. Some visitors have avoided publicizing their itineraries. Chen Bode, chief executive of the Global Shipping Business Network, said the scale, speed and practical impact of Chinese innovation cannot be understood without visiting factories. He joined a three-city robotics and emerging-technology tour organized by Chinese American investor Ma Rui in April.

Industrial tourism is also expanding more broadly. Chinese state media reported $17.8 billion in industrial-tourism revenue last year and forecast more than 300 billion yuan by 2029. Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Hefei have become popular routes covering electric vehicles, batteries, AI and robotics. More than 140 demonstration sites have been designated, and factories increasingly charge about $60 for guided visits. Xiaomi’s Beijing electric-vehicle factory has received more than 250,000 visitors since March 2024, with scarce lottery-based admission reportedly resold online for up to 2,000 yuan.

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People who are actually on the front line producing physical products do not care about politics.

European companies worried about losing ground in AI and robotics are especially interested. Shanghai AI consultant Alex Shengyun Lu said he has hosted seven corporate delegations since late 2025, with as many as 50 people in each group. Tech Buzz China founder Ma cautioned that non-Chinese technology companies still hold most global market share, the most advanced intellectual property and the highest profits. Even so, U.S. entrepreneurs continue to travel to China amid tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Shenzhen has become the clearest symbol of the trend. Foreign arrivals there rose 70% last year and more than 30% in the first quarter of this year, with over five million entries recorded by August. U.S. manufacturing consultant Woodward said American robotics companies still buy large quantities of Chinese components and hardware. Hundreds of people in WeChat groups linking Silicon Valley and Shenzhen are seeking battery, display and prototype suppliers, as the city shifts from a low-cost manufacturing base into a frontline destination for observing China’s technology competition.

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We pretend that every part of the chain can be completed independently in the United States, but in reality it is extremely difficult to separate from the Chinese market.