Interview: Global tech sector "being dramatically transformed by Chinese influence" -- British scholar

A visitor experiences motion-sensing VR game at the on-site experience area for the 7th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

China's digital development tried to stay at the forefront of the latest technologies, and this effort helped fuel innovation cycles, said a British scholar.

LONDON, May 24 (Xinhua) -- "Certain sectors are being dramatically transformed by Chinese influence, and first of them is the technology sector," Julian Birkinshaw, vice dean of London Business School (LBS), has said.

"China is now undeniably the world leader in electric vehicles and is rapidly growing in battery manufacturing," said Birkinshaw, alongside Guo Wei, chairman of Digital China, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

China's digital development tried to stay at the forefront of the latest technologies, and this effort helped fuel innovation cycles, he said.

Explaining why Digital China's transformation was included in LBS's case library, Birkinshaw highlighted the competence of Chinese companies in advancing artificial intelligence, harnessing the technology, and integrating it into products and services.

Intelligent robots work at a plant factory of Sananbio in Anxi County of Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

"We want the case studies for my students to reflect the latest developments in the digital market, and Chinese companies provide us with a valuable opportunity to explore this," said Birkinshaw.

"The United Kingdom has very few globally renowned digital technology companies, so showcasing China's drive for innovation in a case study is absolutely necessary," he said.

Guo said that while firms traditionally valued assets like money, land, capital and people, data have now become a crucial tool for empowering companies and creating customer value, offering a new source of competitive advantage.

"China's progress in the digital sector has not only provided schools with teaching materials but also offered a developmental path for countries around the world," Guo said.