Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTBy Laurie ChenThu, September 3, 2026 at 2:02 AM GMT+2 5 min readBy Laurie ChenBEIJING, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Humanoid robots working on factory floors, AI models challenging global rivals and electric-vehicle plants churning out cars at breathtaking scale are drawing a new wave of foreign visitors to China.Investors and entrepreneurs are paying thousands of dollars for rare access to Chinese factories, seeking a front-row seat to what many believe could be the next technological revolution.The influx reflects mounting fears of a "China shock 2.0", with Western boardrooms and capitals confronting the possibility that Chinese companies are seizing the lead in advanced manufacturing and cutting-edge technologies."Right now, people are looking at China as an object of study and learning — a trend that barely existed just a few years ago," says Robert Wu, CEO of Shanghai-based data research firm Baiguan. He noted that visitors often arrive with misconceptions — for instance, assuming China's robotaxi sector leads the U.S., when domestic policy caution around potential job losses actually keeps it a step behind.Wu has organised two tours for more than two dozen investors, entrepreneurs and executives so far, charging up to $15,000 for a five-day programme. Around half the participants came from Southeast Asia.He is part of a growing cottage industry catering to foreign demand for first-hand access to China's innovation ecosystem.Many attendees avoid publicising their visits. Among those known to have made the trip are U.S. investment firms Dimension, Capital Group and Thrive Capital, as well as U.S. tech podcaster Lex Fridman.While data on tech tours is scarce, broader industrial tourism is booming. China's industrial tourism sector pulled in $17.8 billion last year, according to state media, and is projected to blow past 300 billion yuan ($44.6 billion) by 2029.Shanghai-based tech tour agency GloPen says inquiries jumped 50% in 2026 from mostly European and Singaporean clients, and it now runs over 100 single-day company tours every month."You cannot grasp the true scale, speed, and physicality of Chinese innovation without standing on the factory floor," says Bertrand Chen, CEO of the Global Shipping Business Network, who joined an April three-city robotics and emerging tech tour organised by Chinese American investor Rui Ma.Ma, founder of Tech Buzz China and organizer of 11 such tours since 2019, frames it as essential due diligence: "Even if you're not actively investing in China, you're increasingly likely to encounter Chinese companies as competitors, partners, suppliers, or investments in markets around the world."Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info