Native Link

28/09/2026

China’s Smart Cars Are No Longer Just About EVs. The Next Competition Is Intelligent Driving.

For years, the global conversation around China’s automotive industry focused mainly on electric vehicles, batteries and manufacturing scale.

But another transformation is now becoming impossible to ignore:

Advanced driver-assistance systems are moving rapidly from premium vehicles into the mass market.

Chinese automakers are turning intelligent driving from a “technology showcase” into something consumers can actually use every day.

XPENG is one example.

Its latest intelligent-driving systems are designed to handle increasingly complex real-world scenarios, including highway navigation, urban driving assistance, automated parking and other AI-powered driving functions. In 2026, XPENG also accelerated the global deployment of its VLA 2.0 intelligent-driving platform, with plans to introduce more advanced capabilities into overseas markets.

BYD is taking a different but equally important approach.

Through its “God’s Eye” driver-assistance system, BYD has been pushing intelligent-driving technology across a much broader range of vehicle segments. This matters because the future of intelligent driving may not be determined only by who has the most advanced technology.

It may also be determined by who can make that technology affordable and scalable.

And that is where China becomes especially interesting.

China’s advantage in intelligent vehicles is increasingly built around several capabilities working together:

• Large-scale EV manufacturing
• Rapid software and OTA iteration
• AI and vehicle integration
• Large volumes of real-world driving data
• Battery, semiconductor and electronics supply chains
• Fast product development cycles
• Highly competitive consumer demand

In other words, intelligent driving in China is not developing as an isolated technology.

It is developing inside one of the world’s largest and fastest-moving automotive ecosystems.

The next question is global expansion.

Chinese automakers are already accelerating overseas.

XPENG has expanded into markets across Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. BYD continues to increase its international manufacturing and sales footprint. China’s broader vehicle exports are also rising rapidly, especially in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

But exporting intelligent cars is more complex than simply exporting vehicles.

Different markets have different:

regulations, road environments, mapping systems, data requirements, consumer behavior and safety standards.

That means the next phase of China’s automotive globalization will create opportunities far beyond vehicle sales.

Potential opportunities include:

technology localization, ADAS adaptation, automotive software, sensors, chips, mapping, charging infrastructure, distribution, after-sales networks, data services and cross-border partnerships.

For global executives, investors, automotive companies and technology firms, this is why visiting China’s intelligent-vehicle ecosystem can be valuable.

Reading about Chinese EVs from overseas tells you what companies are selling.

Visiting companies such as XPENG, BYD and other intelligent-mobility players helps you understand something more important:

How fast is the technology actually evolving?
How are Chinese companies bringing intelligent driving into mass production?
Where are the supply-chain opportunities?
And which technologies and business models may eventually move overseas?

At Native Link, we organize customized business study tours and executive delegations in China, connecting international companies with leading players in EVs, intelligent driving, AI, robotics and advanced manufacturing.

See China. Understand China. Connect with China.

🌐 Website: nativelink.us
📱 WhatsApp: 150 6155 0603

25/09/2026

From September 23 to 25, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States. On September 24, the Chinese and U.S. presidents held talks at the White House.

25/09/2026

The latest China-U.S. leaders’ meeting is more than a diplomatic event. From a business and technology perspective, it highlights a deeper shift in how global competition is evolving.

One of the clearest signals is the growing importance of artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, and supply-chain resilience.

AI is no longer just a competition between technology companies.

It is becoming a competition between entire industrial systems.

The real AI value chain now includes:

Chips → Computing Power → Data Centers → Energy → AI Models → Industrial Applications

This is where China’s role becomes particularly important.

The U.S. continues to lead in areas such as advanced chip design, cloud infrastructure, foundation models, and global software ecosystems.

China, meanwhile, has developed strong capabilities in engineering, manufacturing, supply chains, hardware integration, and large-scale commercialization.

This creates an increasingly important dynamic:

The next phase of AI competition may not be defined only by who develops the strongest model, but by who can deploy AI faster into the physical economy.

We are already seeing this in:

• Robotics
• Electric vehicles
• Smart manufacturing
• Industrial automation
• Logistics
• Healthcare
• Energy systems

Another important signal is that global technology supply chains are becoming more layered.

Sensitive technologies may remain restricted, while cooperation continues in other areas such as trade, manufacturing, critical materials, aviation, and commercial investment.

In other words, globalization is not disappearing.

It is becoming more regional, more regulated, and more strategically managed.

For international companies, this means China should no longer be viewed only as a manufacturing base.

Increasingly, China is also becoming a place where new technologies are developed, tested, integrated, and scaled.

That is particularly visible in cities such as Shenzhen, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, where AI, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and supply-chain ecosystems are closely connected.

Understanding China’s technology sector therefore requires more than reading reports.

It requires seeing how technology moves from laboratory research to factories, products, and commercial applications.

At Native Link, we organize customized business study tours in China for companies, investors, and executive delegations interested in:

AI
Robotics
Advanced Manufacturing
Electric Vehicles
Industrial Automation
China’s Innovation Ecosystem

Native Link | Business Study Tours in China

Visit China’s Leading Companies.
Explore AI, Robotics & Advanced Manufacturing.
Understand China.
🌐 Website: https://nativelink.us
📱 WhatsApp / Mobile: 150 6155 0603

23/09/2026

Alibaba’s Next Chapter: From E-commerce Platform to AI-Powered Business Infrastructure

For many international businesses, Alibaba has always represented one thing:

A gateway to China’s manufacturing supply chain.

A place where companies can:

Find suppliers.

Source products.

Build relationships with Chinese manufacturers.

For the past two decades, Alibaba helped connect global buyers with China’s factories and suppliers.

But Alibaba’s latest AI strategy suggests something much bigger is happening.

The company is no longer only building a platform for buying and selling.

It is trying to build the infrastructure that could reshape how businesses operate in the AI era.

At the recent Alibaba Cloud Yunqi Conference in Hangzhou, Alibaba announced its latest AI roadmap.

The focus was not only on developing larger AI models.

Instead, Alibaba is investing across the entire AI ecosystem:

AI models + AI chips + cloud computing + data centers + business applications.

This represents a major shift:

From being an e-commerce company,

to becoming an AI infrastructure company.

Why does this matter for global businesses?

Because the next stage of competition may not be about who has the best online store.

It may be about who can use AI to build a smarter business.

Think about the evolution of global commerce.

In the past, companies competed through:

Lower manufacturing costs
Better suppliers
Faster logistics
Stronger distribution channels

But AI is introducing a new layer:

Intelligent decision-making.

For a global e-commerce company, AI can help:

• Predict consumer demand before launching products

• Analyze market trends across countries

• Optimize inventory and supply chains

• Generate marketing content faster

• Improve customer service through AI assistants

For companies sourcing from China, AI can help:

• Identify suitable suppliers

• Improve communication efficiency

• Analyze production data

• Reduce operational uncertainty

The future advantage may not only come from finding the cheapest supplier.

It may come from building a smarter supply chain.

This is why Alibaba’s strategy is interesting.

The company is following a pattern seen in previous technology revolutions.

Electricity did not transform the world because of the first light bulb.

It transformed the world because a complete electricity infrastructure was built.

The internet did not change business because of one website.

It changed business because global digital infrastructure connected billions of people.

AI is moving toward the same direction.

The most valuable companies may not only be those creating individual AI applications.

They may be the companies building the infrastructure that allows millions of businesses to access AI.

Looking back at Alibaba’s history, this transformation actually follows its previous strategy.

Many people know Alibaba through:

Taobao.

Tmall.

Alibaba.com.

But behind these businesses was always an infrastructure mindset.

Taobao improved online transactions.

Alipay built digital trust.

Cainiao connected logistics networks.

Alibaba Cloud provided computing infrastructure.

Now Alibaba is working on the next layer:

Helping businesses access AI capabilities.

For international companies doing business with China, this creates a new opportunity.

China is not only a manufacturing destination.

It is becoming a place where companies can observe how AI is being integrated into real business scenarios:

Manufacturing.

Supply chains.

Retail.

Healthcare.

E-commerce.

Business operations.

The next generation of global companies may not only ask:

“Where can I find better suppliers?”

They may ask:

“How can I use technology to build a more intelligent company?”

At Native Link, we organize business study tours and corporate visits in China, helping international executives explore China’s leading companies, AI applications, advanced manufacturing, and innovation ecosystems.

Discover how Chinese companies are applying technology in real business environments.

🌐 Website: nativelink.us
💬 WhatsApp: 150 6155 0603

23/09/2026

For many years, the global view of China's pharmaceutical industry was relatively straightforward.

21/09/2026

Inside Sunwoda: What Digital Transformation Really Looks Like on the Factory Floor

Many manufacturers are investing in digital transformation.

MES systems, automation equipment, data platforms, AI tools and smart dashboards are becoming increasingly common.

But there is a more important question:

Has digitalization actually changed the way the factory operates?

Can production problems be identified earlier?
Can quality issues be traced faster?
Can manufacturing knowledge be standardized instead of remaining in the hands of a few experienced employees?
And when a company expands to multiple factories, can the same production capability be replicated at scale?

These are the questions that make Sunwoda an interesting company to study in China.

From batteries to a complex manufacturing system

Founded with a focus on battery manufacturing, Sunwoda now has around 30 years of R&D and production experience.

Its business has expanded far beyond consumer electronics batteries into six major areas, including:

Consumer batteries | EV batteries | Energy storage | Energy services | Smart hardware | Innovation ecosystems

Its products and solutions now serve applications ranging from smartphones and laptops to passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, energy storage systems and other emerging energy applications.

That expansion creates a much more difficult management challenge.

Different products require different manufacturing processes, quality standards, production cycles and customer requirements.

So the real question is no longer simply:

How do you manufacture a battery?

It becomes:

How do you manage an increasingly complex manufacturing system while maintaining quality, efficiency, cost control and delivery performance?

Digital transformation is not just about adding more machines

One of the most common misunderstandings about smart manufacturing is that a more automated factory is automatically a smarter factory.

It is not.

The real challenge is connecting:

machines, processes, quality, people, data and management systems.

Sunwoda has been recognized by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as a “Digital Leading Enterprise”, and its industrial learning programs focus heavily on intelligent production lines, digital transformation and advanced manufacturing management.

This is what makes an on-site visit particularly valuable.

Instead of simply seeing robots and automated equipment, executives can observe deeper questions:

How is production data used?

How are manufacturing abnormalities identified and managed?

How are quality requirements embedded into the production process?

How do automation and human operators work together?

How are successful manufacturing practices standardized and replicated?

This is where digital transformation becomes operational capability rather than just an IT project.

What can executives experience during a Sunwoda visit?

Depending on the program and corporate approval, a business study visit may include Sunwoda's Shenzhen headquarters smart campus or its Huizhou manufacturing base.

Possible learning components include:

Smart campus and corporate exhibition center
Understanding Sunwoda's development, business portfolio and new-energy strategy.

Intelligent manufacturing production lines
Observing how automation, process control and manufacturing management are integrated on the factory floor.

Executive or expert sharing sessions
Topics may include:

Digital transformation at Sunwoda
Industrial AI strategy and applications
Smart factory development
New-energy battery manufacturing and production management
Lean manufacturing
EV battery development
Energy storage and integrated energy technologies

For international manufacturing teams, this creates an opportunity to connect what they see on the production line with the management thinking behind it.

Why visit in person?

A presentation can explain a digital architecture.

A factory shows whether it actually works.

For executives studying advanced manufacturing in China, the most valuable part of a company visit is often not the equipment itself.

It is understanding the system behind the equipment:

How experience becomes process.
How process becomes standard.
How standards become data.
And how data ultimately becomes operational capability.

That is the real value of studying a company like Sunwoda.

Visit Sunwoda with Native Link

Native Link designs customized business study tours in China for international companies, executives, associations and government delegations.

For teams interested in advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, industrial AI, batteries, energy storage or China's new-energy ecosystem, we can combine a Sunwoda visit with other relevant companies and industry resources to build a more complete learning program.

Native Link | Business Study Tours in China

🌐 Website: www.nativelink.us
📧 Email: [email protected]
💬 WhatsApp: 150 6155 0603
📱 Facebook: NativeLink

See China. Understand China. Connect with China.

All company visits are subject to availability and corporate approval.

21/09/2026

China Hi-Tech Fair 2026: Where Technology Becomes Business

When people visit a technology exhibition, it is easy to focus on what looks new.

A humanoid robot walking across a stage. A drone completing an autonomous flight. A new AI system generating content in seconds. A prototype that promises to change an industry.

But for business leaders, the more important question is not simply:

What is new?

It is:

Which technologies are actually becoming businesses?

That is what makes the China Hi-Tech Fair 2026 (CHTF 2026) particularly interesting.

The 28th China Hi-Tech Fair will take place in Shenzhen from November 26–28, 2026, at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Bao’an. Official plans call for approximately 400,000 square meters of exhibition space, covering areas such as artificial intelligence and robotics, semiconductors, low-altitude economy and aerospace, energy storage, computing infrastructure, advanced equipment and other emerging industries.

But the real value of CHTF is not its size.

It is the opportunity to observe, in one place, how technologies move from technical breakthroughs to commercial applications, industrialization and investment opportunities.

That transition is especially relevant in 2026. The official theme of the China Hi-Tech Forum this year is “AI Empowering Future Industries: From Technological Breakthroughs to Scenario Implementation,” reflecting a broader focus on turning innovation into real-world applications.

From impressive technology to commercial reality

Humanoid robots are a useful example.

Watching a robot walk, run or perform complex movements tells you something about the technology.

But when manufacturers begin considering whether to deploy robots in factories, warehouses or service environments, an entirely different set of questions appears.

How reliable is the system?

What tasks can it perform repeatedly?

How much does it cost?

Can it integrate with an existing production line?

How long does deployment take?

Who provides maintenance and technical support?

And perhaps most importantly:

What is the return on investment?

At that point, robotics stops being only a technology story. It becomes a business story.

The same transition is happening across artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, drones, energy storage, advanced manufacturing and many other emerging industries in China.

For overseas executives visiting CHTF, this is one of the most useful things to observe.

You are not simply looking at what a technology can do today.

You are trying to understand how close it is to becoming a scalable industry.

The opportunity may be around the technology, not inside it

When an emerging industry begins to scale, some of the most interesting opportunities appear outside the companies receiving the most attention.

Take humanoid robotics.

The growth of the sector creates demand not only for complete robots, but also for:

motors and actuators, precision reducers, sensors, batteries, vision systems, controllers, industrial software, testing equipment and system integration.

AI infrastructure follows a similar pattern.

As AI computing expands, opportunities emerge around servers, memory, networking, liquid cooling, power management, energy storage and data-center infrastructure.

The low-altitude economy creates another ecosystem around communications, navigation, batteries, flight-control systems, landing infrastructure, fleet management, maintenance and urban applications.

So for an overseas company attending CHTF, the most useful question may not be:

“Should we become an AI or robotics company?”

A better question may be:

“Where could our existing products, technology or expertise fit into these new value chains?”

For a component supplier, that might mean identifying a new customer group.

For a manufacturer, it could mean finding an OEM or technology partner.

For an investor, it may mean looking beyond the most visible brands to the infrastructure and supply chain developing around them.

For a distributor or service company, the opportunity may appear when Chinese technologies begin expanding into overseas markets.

This is where visiting a technology exhibition becomes much more than trend watching.

It becomes a way to map an emerging industry.

Why Shenzhen matters: shortening the distance from prototype to market

CHTF would already be important as a major technology exhibition.

But the fact that it takes place in Shenzhen makes it more valuable as a business-learning platform.

Shenzhen is not simply displaying emerging technologies. Many of them are being developed, engineered, manufactured and commercialized within the city and the surrounding Greater Bay Area.

In 2025, Shenzhen's strategic emerging industries generated approximately RMB 1.67 trillion in added value, representing 43% of the city's GDP. Semiconductor and integrated circuits, intelligent connected vehicles, low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence and robotics were among the industrial clusters recording strong growth.

The numbers matter, but the density of the ecosystem matters even more.

A robotics company can work with nearby suppliers specializing in motors, sensors, batteries, controllers and precision components.

A drone company can draw on Shenzhen's strengths in electronics, communications, batteries and manufacturing.

An AI hardware company can connect with suppliers of servers, thermal-management systems, power infrastructure and electronics manufacturing.

And that ecosystem does not stop at the Shenzhen city boundary.

Dongguan brings deep manufacturing capabilities.

Guangzhou contributes automotive, robotics and advanced industrial applications.

Huizhou has strong electronics and energy-related supply chains.

Together, these cities form part of a highly concentrated industrial network across the Greater Bay Area.

This helps shorten the distance between:

Technology → Prototype → Supply Chain → Manufacturing → Customer

That is one of the most important reasons international business visitors should look beyond the exhibition halls.

Don't just visit the exhibition. Follow the industry.

For an international delegation, a CHTF visit becomes much more valuable when the exhibition is treated as the starting point, rather than the entire trip.

At the exhibition, you can identify technologies, companies and sectors relevant to your business.

The next step is to visit companies.

There, you can understand their products, R&D strategies, business models and paths to commercialization.

Then visit factories and real application scenarios.

This is where you see whether robotics, AI, automation, drones and other technologies are already moving from demonstration into actual operations.

Finally, follow the supply chain.

Understanding where components come from, how products are manufactured, how quickly designs can be modified and how suppliers collaborate often explains more about China's technology competitiveness than a product demonstration alone.

In simple terms:

CHTF shows you what is emerging.

Shenzhen helps you understand how it becomes an industry.

What should overseas companies look for?

The answer will be different for every company.

A traditional manufacturer may want to understand how AI and robotics could reduce production costs or change its factories.

An automotive supplier may want to explore intelligent vehicles, batteries, sensors or autonomous-driving technologies.

A technology company may be searching for manufacturing partners, customers or new applications.

An investment group may be trying to understand which sectors are moving from technical promise toward commercial scale.

A business school or industry association may want to understand how China's innovation ecosystem connects technology, manufacturing, capital and supply chains.

That is why a serious China technology visit should not be built around collecting famous company names.

It should start with a business question.

What are you trying to understand?

Then the itinerary should connect the relevant technologies, companies, factories, applications and supply chains around that question.

From CHTF to the Greater Bay Area industrial ecosystem

For overseas companies and business delegations visiting China Hi-Tech Fair 2026, Native Link can design customized programs that go beyond attending the exhibition.

A program might combine:

China Hi-Tech Fair

↓

Leading technology companies

↓

Smart factories and R&D centers

↓

Real-world application scenarios

↓

Shenzhen and Greater Bay Area supply chains

Depending on the interests of the group, the program can focus on areas such as:

AI & Robotics
Humanoid robots, industrial robotics, AI applications, embodied intelligence and automation.

Advanced Manufacturing
Smart factories, industrial automation, digital manufacturing and production management.

Low-Altitude Economy
Drones, eVTOL, autonomous systems, flight infrastructure and urban applications.

EV & Energy
Electric vehicles, batteries, energy storage, charging infrastructure and intelligent mobility.

Semiconductors & AI Infrastructure
Integrated circuits, AI computing, servers, thermal management, power systems and supporting infrastructure.

The goal is not simply to visit more companies.

It is to connect the dots between technology, commercialization, manufacturing and supply chains.

Because for international business leaders, the most valuable insight from China is rarely just seeing the next new technology.

It is understanding which technologies are becoming commercially viable, which new value chains are being created, and where your own business may fit into them.

China Hi-Tech Fair 2026

📍 Shenzhen, China
📅 November 26–28, 2026
🏢 Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, Bao'an

Native Link | Business Study Tours in China

We design customized China business study tours for overseas companies, executives, business schools and industry delegations, combining major exhibitions with visits to leading companies, technology centers, smart factories and industrial ecosystems.

Website: nativelink.us
Tel / WhatsApp: 150 6155 0603

19/09/2026

19/09/2026

Lei Jun Kicked a Unitree Robot. The Bigger Story Is What Happened Next.

On September 14, Lei Jun, founder of Xiaomi and one of China’s best-known technology entrepreneurs, visited Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, accompanied by Unitree founder Wang Xingxing.

The robots demonstrated martial arts, boxing and even Chinese calligraphy.

But one moment attracted far more attention online:

Lei Jun suddenly kicked one of the humanoid robots.

The robot stepped backward, quickly recovered its balance, and stayed standing.

It was an entertaining moment. But from a business perspective, that kick also revealed something much more important about where China’s humanoid robotics industry is heading.

1. The real test is no longer whether a robot can move

For years, humanoid robotics has been dominated by spectacular demonstrations: running, jumping, dancing, boxing and backflips.

But companies considering robots for factories, warehouses, retail environments or homes care about very different questions:

Can the robot stay stable after an unexpected impact?

Can it work continuously?

Can it handle changing loads and unpredictable environments?

Can it operate reliably enough to justify the investment?

This is why torque, thermal management, balance control, reliability and continuous operating time may ultimately matter more than another viral backflip.

The competition is gradually shifting from:

“Whose robot looks more impressive?”

to:

“Whose robot can work longer, more reliably and at a lower cost?”

2. Unitree is developing both the “body” and the “brain”

Unitree is also interesting because it is no longer only developing robot hardware.

The company has been moving deeper into AI models and embodied intelligence.

That matters because one of the biggest challenges facing humanoid robotics is that increasingly capable mechanical bodies still need much more intelligent “brains.”

The next generation of robotics companies may need four capabilities working together:

Robot hardware + motion control + AI models + real-world data

And the last one may become particularly important.

Every time a robot works in a real environment, handles an object, encounters an unexpected situation or fails at a task, it can potentially generate valuable data for future training.

That creates an interesting commercial flywheel:

More robots deployed → more real-world data → better AI models → more capable robots → more applications

For embodied AI, that could become a significant competitive advantage.

3. Lei Jun’s relationship with Unitree goes back years

There is another layer to this visit.

Lei Jun is not simply a curious technology executive visiting a robotics company.

Shunwei Capital, the venture capital firm co-founded by Lei Jun, invested in Unitree years before humanoid robots became one of China’s hottest technology sectors.

That is worth paying attention to.

Strategic investment is not always only about financial returns.

For major technology companies and investors, it can also provide an early window into emerging technologies, new teams and potentially transformative industries.

Investing early and then visiting the company years later tells a more interesting business story than the viral kick itself.

4. Xiaomi and Unitree represent two different approaches to robotics

Xiaomi has also been exploring robotics for years.

In 2022, the company publicly introduced CyberOne, its full-size humanoid robot concept, while continuing to develop capabilities across AI, smart vehicles, IoT and consumer electronics.

Unitree represents a more specialized path.

Its core strength comes from robotics itself: motors, joints, motion control, robot bodies and increasingly AI.

Xiaomi represents a broader technology-platform approach, with strengths in consumer electronics, supply chains, AI, automobiles, IoT, distribution and millions of user scenarios.

These are two very different approaches.

One starts from the robot.

The other starts from a much larger technology ecosystem.

This also suggests that the future humanoid robotics industry may not be dominated by a single company doing everything.

Robots, motors, sensors, chips, AI models, training data, manufacturing systems and applications could eventually form an ecosystem similar to what we have already seen in smartphones and electric vehicles.

5. Humanoid robotics is entering its next phase

The most important question is no longer:

“Can we build a humanoid robot?”

It is becoming:

“Where can this robot actually create economic value?”

That means the industry is moving from impressive demonstrations toward deployment, manufacturing, reliability and commercialization.

For business leaders, this is exactly why visiting a company like Unitree can be valuable.

The interesting part is not simply watching a robot perform martial arts.

It is understanding:

How does a robotics company turn laboratory technology into a commercial product?

How does it reduce the cost of core components?

How does mass production improve reliability?

How does real-world data improve AI models?

And most importantly, which applications will customers actually be willing to pay for?

Lei Jun’s kick will disappear from social media soon enough.

The industrial shift behind it is only beginning.

At Native Link, we have previously organized business visits to Unitree and other leading Chinese companies in AI, robotics, advanced manufacturing and embodied intelligence.

For international companies, industry associations, executive groups and business schools, we design customized China study tours that go beyond company visits and help participants understand the technologies, supply chains and business models shaping China’s next generation of industries.

🌐 Website: www.nativelink.us
📱 WhatsApp / Tel: 150 6155 0603
✉️ Email: [email protected]