#XrisLogbook 176 - Tech , Tones , Titans 🇨🇳

👍🏻 Mind-blowing and eye-opening week in China. From starting Monday with a Tai-Chi class at sunrise to exploring the future of AI, robotics, EVs, smart glasses, and exoskeletons across Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Shanghai one thing became very clear: China is not just innovating fast… it is deploying innovation at scale. Visiting Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen , Huawei , BYD ,Rokid Corporation Ltd , DEEP Robotics sometimes felt like traveling a few years into the future. Although, to be fair, after ordering a personalized AI-made latte yesterday, I’m still not entirely sure whether I visited China… or accidentally walked into 2035. ✨

👎🏻 After my best efforts this week, I can officially confirm that Chinese is a very difficult language to learn. To my untrained ears, many sounds still feel almost identical… while apparently meaning completely different things depending on the tone. One wrong pronunciation and you may accidentally order noodles instead of saying thank you. But this trip also convinced me of something important: understanding China in the future will not only be about business or technology, but also about language and culture. So I will catch up sooner or later… 🗣️

✍🏻 One thing lǎowài (foreigners) often underestimates about China is the sheer size of its domestic market. Some tech companies here are completely unknown abroad… and sometimes even unknown in other Chinese provinces… while already serving a market the size of all Europe. That changes everything: speed, scale, ambition, and competition. What’s also fascinating is how pragmatic many Chinese companies are. When they dominate the technology but feel less strong on branding or storytelling, they simply partner with famous international brands and quietly power the tech behind the scenes. In China, ego seems less important than execution… and honestly, that alone explains a lot. 💹

🙏🏻 Special thanks this week to Marie-Solenne , Chrisdèle , Chloé , Corinne , Isabelle , Beatrice , Ana , Guillaume , Julien , Maxime ,Alessandro , Sylvain , Laurent , Cédric , Cyrille , David

Highlights of the week

👉🏻 Hong Kong https://lnkd.in/eqzGy3GQ

👉🏻 TaiChi https://lnkd.in/esCH7vZu

👉🏻 RITS https://lnkd.in/eBzCJgUK

👉🏻 Huawei https://lnkd.in/eNFryc3f

👉🏻 BYD https://lnkd.in/e7KBFN5J

👉🏻 Rokid https://lnkd.in/ewNjT2HZ

👉🏻 Deep Robotics https://lnkd.in/e9u-VWg8


#China #Shenzhen #Hangzhou #Shanghai #Innovation #AI #Robotics #Technology #Future #Entrepreneurship #EV #DeepTech#Business #Mandarin #TechEcosystem