How the mainland went from ‘Made in China’ to ‘Created in China’
Government support and market knowledge have led transformation from making foreign companies’ products to developing own brands and innovation
Government support and market demand have contributed to a shift in emphasis from “Made in China” to “Created in China” on the mainland, the 2018 South China Morning Post China Conference heard on Thursday.
“In the past few years, China’s innovative environment has been the best in the world, including in terms of support from the government,” said Duane Kuang, the founding managing partner of Qiming Venture Partners, which has invested in technology companies such as Xiaomi and WeChat, often called China’s equivalent to WhatsApp.
“We don’t want the government support to be the main reason why they succeed, but that initial help is a good start.”
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang launched the “Made in China 2025” strategy for industrial modernisation in 2015, with the aim of supporting China’s transformation from a manufacturing hub into one of next-generation technological breakthroughs.
The Chinese government has also positioned Shenzhen as a centre with many innovative companies. The result is a new breed of Chinese firms that no longer only receive manufacturing orders from overseas companies such as Apple, but have created their own brands and products that are sold overseas.
