BEIJING — Foreign investors, entrepreneurs and technology executives are increasingly paying for access to Chinese factories and technology companies, with some five-day programs costing as much as $15,000, as interest grows in the country’s progress in robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, Reuters reports.  
 
Initiatives like guided tech tours from firms such as Baiguan and GloPen have become a booming industry, catering to increasing demand from Southeast Asian and European executives, the agency reports. Some American investors and influencers, including U.S. tech podcaster Lex Fridman, have also taken part, despite escalating U.S.-China tensions.  
 
Beijing actively supports this trend, promoting industrial tourism through over 140 official sites, including Xiaomi’s EV factory, which has drawn over 250,000 visitors. Shenzhen, in particular, has emerged as a central hub, attracting global entrepreneurs and fostering collaboration through hacker houses and tech events.  
 
While China still trails in global market share and intellectual property, its state-backed coordination in scaling technological innovations is teaching valuable lessons to international observers. Though concerns linger about "China shock 2.0," the prevailing sentiment among visitors is one of humility and eagerness to learn. 
 

Known participants have included U.S. investment firms Dimension, Capital Group and Thrive Capital, as well as technology podcaster Lex Fridman, Reuters reported. Many participants do not publicize their visits, making the overall size of the market difficult to measure.  

China is also encouraging industrial tourism. Beijing has designated more than 140 official demonstration sites, according to Reuters, while factories increasingly offer public tours. Xiaomi’s electric-vehicle factory has received more than 250,000 visitors since March 2024. Lottery-assigned admission slots have reportedly appeared for resale online for as much as 2,000 yuan ($300). 

The interest is not limited to tourism. European executives interviewed by Reuters described visits as a way to understand how Chinese companies develop products and how government-backed investment and policies help technologies move from development into large-scale production.  
 
Shanghai-based AI consultant Alex Shengyun Lu said that since late 2025, he has led seven delegations of as many as 50 corporate visitors seeking what they can learn from Chinese companies and from China's state-backed approach to technology investment.