Source: AFP
Xiaoyu Fan smiled as she looked around a bustling China Pavilion at the Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday as gadgets such as bladeless fans were displayed and deals were made.
Hundreds of Chinese companies took part in the annual CES gadget extravaganza, shunning US-China political trade tensions and focusing on taking care of business.
“I think all the people in each country are very nice, the culture of each country is very nice, very friendly,” said Fan, who was with Zhejiang Crossbow Brand Electric Appliance Company from Wuyi, China.
“We don’t care about governments; that’s none of our business,” she added, wearing a necklace with the word “peace” around her neck.
About 500 of the roughly 3,500 exhibitors at CES are from China, up from last year but not in pre-Covid numbers, according to the Consumer Technology Association, which runs CES.
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“The Chinese are back,” association president Gary Shapiro said at the inaugural Las Vegas show that ends Friday.
Chinese titans like TCL and Hisense wowed CES-goers with stunning TVs, while lesser-known companies showcased robots, drones, e-bikes, charging cables and more.
TCL’s partnership with the US National Football League was the main topic at a CES press event, featuring appearances by sports legends.
“They definitely looked like a red-blooded American company that drinks beer and watches football,” said Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart.
‘Copycats’ no more?
Chinese business leaders at CES included Appotronics CEO Li Yi, whose company specializes in laser imaging technology used by major companies including automakers BMW and BYD.
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To Li, it seemed that the tension between the United States and China on the trade front was beginning to stabilize, and that the issue was more of a battle over high technology than the type of CES consumer technology.
“For Chinese brands, being in the US is difficult in today’s climate,” Li admitted to AFP.
“But there’s also an emerging opportunity; component technology companies are starting to see this as an opportunity to emerge.”
Chinese companies at CES played up innovation, wanting their country to be seen as a technology leader rather than just a place where things can be made cheaply.
“People usually think we’re a manufacturing force, and then people think we’re copycats,” Li said of the attitude toward Chinese entrepreneurs.
“There are still probably people doing that, but more companies like us are trying to be innovative; we really don’t want to reinvent the wheel and sell it at a lower price.”
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All about brands
Futurum Group research director Olivier Blanchard saw advanced computer chips used for artificial intelligence as the heart of trade friction between the United States and China.
This technology is far from being used in the collection of AI gadgets at CES, from pet trackers to smart beds, baby bottles and electric bikes.
“The whole issue of US vs. China is very far removed from the dialogue going on at CES,” Blanchard said.
“Whether you’re from China or anywhere else, if you have a good product, you’ll find a market.”
Despite political tensions between the United States and China over artificial intelligence, national security and Taiwan, it would be unwise to disconnect the two economies since they benefit so much from each other, according to Blanchard.
“I love the fact that they keep coming here every year, whether it’s from China or wherever, and they keep trying,” Blanchard said.
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“It’s this weird layer of startups all competing to be the next big thing.”
Source: AFP