Shenzhen's electronics market links global ideas with China's tech ecosystem

Foreign engineers and makers are flocking to Huaqiangbei in south China's Shenzhen, home to one of the world's biggest electronics markets, not just to source components, but to turn their own ideas into prototypes and finished products.

For years, buyers from around the world have come to Huaqiangbei to hunt for the latest hardware. Now, many of them are staying on to invent devices of their own, creating new connections between Shenzhen and innovators overseas.

Canadian industrial and mechanical designer Ivan Ho is part of that community. His team brings engineers from different countries into the same projects, while developing products for clients in Europe and the United States.

"We were able to extend our productivity beyond, I would say, the time zone here in China. What we are trying to do here, I guess we call it 'Shenzhen Plus,'" said Ho.

For his clients, this kind of global collaboration ultimately comes down to something very practical.

"The customers don't care how it's done. They just care that we get the job done in high quality, at the right price and the right time. But the thing here in Shenzhen is that it's possible to get all three, the right price, a very quick turnaround, and the right quality with talented people around the world," Ho said.

The supply chain, however, is only part of what keeps those projects here. At CEC Black Arc, a smart hardware incubator in Huaqiangbei under state-owned China Electronics Corporation, some international makers receive discounted workspace, along with legal and business registration support. The also organizes industry networking and matchmaking activities.

"What we hope is that international makers won't just come to Huaqiangbei to shop, but also make use of its industrial ecosystem to help them, their countries, and their industrial partners successfully localize and launch [their] products. That's how we can create mutual benefit," said Deng Jiefang, marketing director of CEC Black Arc.

Shenzhen's electronics market links global ideas with China's tech ecosystem

Dialogue and cooperation between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, matters far beyond the two countries themselves, said Adnan Z. Amin, chair of the officers' council of the World Energy Council (WEC), a global network of energy organizations.

In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Amin said such dialogue gives the wider world grounds for optimism, and that the economic issues between the two sides can only be resolved through sustained engagement.

"It's absolutely essential. I think when you have two of the biggest economies in the world in dialogue and collaboration, it makes a difference for the rest of the world. It provides an optimistic approach, it provides a positive kind of perspective of where we can be going. There are hard issues to discuss. The economic trade-offs are not inconsequential. They need to be addressed. And the best way to do it is through dialogue. And to see President Xi in Washington today is very encouraging, because I think that dialogue is essential today," he said.

Amin added that policymakers should set aside reflexive hostility and focus on the tangible benefits that cooperation can bring to people in both countries.

"We need to get beyond this kind of knee-jerk antagonism that you see in certain policy circles in different countries around the world to really look at what is the reality today. How will our collaboration improve the lot of people in our countries? And what are the best areas for us to do (work on) and who has to take responsibility for what. This is essential," he said.

China-U.S. dialogue "absolutely essential" for world: WEC chair