Foreign visitors snap up Chinese tech products

HANGZHOU -- A compact drone hummed inside DJI's flagship store at Beijing's APM Mall, hovering steadily above a display table as shoppers paused to admire the offerings. One of these shoppers, Swiss filmmaker Sebastian Goyon, later walked out with a DJI Pocket 3 camera after exploring the store with his family.

"I've used nearly every DJI product. They're essential for my outdoor documentaries," Goyon told Xinhua. For professionals like him, the likes of affordability, portability and cutting-edge features are key. DJI's ecosystem, spanning drones to stabilizers, had improved efficiency and expanded his creative possibilities, Goyon said.

Scenes like these have become daily sights in China's bustling tech retail hubs. Powered by continuous innovation, world-class manufacturing and favorable policies, Chinese high-tech products are drawing increasing interest from international travelers.

LOCAL INNOVATION, GLOBAL APPEAL

The rising popularity of Chinese tech among foreign consumers underscores the nation's rapid advances in innovation, manufacturing prowess and user-centric design.

"China is leading in both technology and production," Goyon said, while adding that beyond cameras, the performance and affordability of other Chinese tech, such as electric vehicles and smart devices, have also impressed him.

At Beijing's APM Mall, overseas shoppers now account for 30 percent of daily foot traffic — a surge accelerated by streamlined tax refund policies. "Visitors often find our store through tax guides or maps and place it at the top of their itinerary," said store manager Luo Yao. "Most are independent travelers accustomed to using DJI products to record their journeys."

To serve its global clientele, DJI has streamlined the entire shopping experience, from sales to product use. Staff assist customers with price comparisons and explanations of tax policies and encourage hands-on testing.

In-store demonstrations, notably, often play decisive roles in driving sales. Luo noted that the moment a drone takes off, it attracts crowds, and seeing the flight stability and features firsthand sparks excitement and motivates purchases.

Luo also emphasized that DJI products are engineered with global usability in mind. Apps like DJI Fly support multiple languages and automatically adapt to flight regulations in different countries — requiring no manual adjustments and enabling a seamless experience.

This trend extends beyond electronics. The eastern Chinese tech hub of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, is home to both AI startup DeepSeek and humanoid robotics firm Unitree, and recently unveiled ten "sci-tech souvenirs," including AR glasses, sleeping aids and exoskeleton robots.

Selected from more than 80 submissions in the categories of smart hardware, digital content and health tech since April, these products showcase breakthroughs achieved by local tech enterprises, according to Zhang Feng, secretary-general of the Digital Culture & Tourism (Hangzhou) Alliance.

Many of the entries integrate large-scale AI models and intelligent technologies developed by Hangzhou-based companies, blending innovation seamlessly into daily life, said Zhang.

Standouts include AIGC-customized scarves from Chinese silk producer WENSLI Group. This idea emerged as AI tools like ChatGPT surged in popularity, said Lou Yufeng, executive deputy director of WENSLI Group Office. "Could AI make everyone a designer? Leveraging AIGC technology, we turned that idea into reality."

Notably, at WENSLI's demonstration hall, customers can instantly create one-of-a-kind scarf designs via its mini-program and have their customized pieces produced after placing the order.

Lou told Xinhua that more than ten groups of foreign consumers visit each month to experience the AIGC scarves and make purchases. He noted that consumers from countries like Japan, where silk culture is already well-known and deeply cherished, are particularly impressed by the technological sophistication and cost-effectiveness of Chinese products.

"Beyond traditional souvenirs like Dingsheng cake or silk umbrellas, we hope visitors around the world will take home a piece of Hangzhou's innovative spirit," said an official from the Hangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism Bureau.

POLICY ACCELERATORS

Government policies have further bolstered this trend. Reflecting the broader trend noted by Goyon, many foreign shoppers are now actively seeking out Chinese high-tech products, valuing not only their quality but also their cost-performance ratio.

In April, the State Taxation Administration launched a nationwide upgrade of the value-added tax refund mechanism for foreign tourists. This has resulted in a simplified and faster process — which has encouraged more foreign tourists to make purchases in China.

"The service expands the refund process from airports to retail stores, allowing overseas tourists to receive their tax refunds immediately upon purchase," said Zhang Danying, an official at the municipal tax service of Hangzhou.

While the DJI store in APM Mall has not yet activated on-site refunds, it provides tax invoices and refund slips that tourists can redeem at designated locations. For a product like the 4,000-yuan (about $562.9) Pocket 3 bundle, the refund exceeds 400 yuan, according to Luo.

Hangzhou, a pioneer in this effort, has gone even further. It became the first city in China to offer tax refunds through Alipay, replacing cash-only models and allowing tourists to scan a QR code for direct refunds.

The city has further simplified the process by launching the country's first "one-click" quick tax refund service for overseas shoppers via Alipay, enabling refunds to be received in as little as two minutes.

Currently, Hangzhou has 267 stores offering tax refunds — an increase of 149 from last year, including 124 "instant refund" stores, up from just 14 a year ago. So far in 2025, tax-refund sales in the city have reached 2.23 times the amount recorded during the same period of last year.

Also, China's broader entry and travel facilitation policies are driving a surge in inbound visitors. The country's visa-free arrangements are expanding rapidly, with 76 countries now enjoying unilateral or mutual visa-free entry, while 55 countries benefit from transit exemptions. In the first half of 2025 alone, 13.64 million travelers entered China visa-free, up 53.9 percent year-on-year, according to the National Immigration Administration.

Authorities expect this year's eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which started on Oct 1, to see an average of 2 million daily border crossings — highlighting China's growing appeal as a global destination.

To better serve overseas travelers, Hangzhou has launched "Zhejiang Travel," an AI-powered tourism service platform providing real-time translation, itinerary customization and local tips tailored to overseas visitors.

"I really like Hangzhou. It's a beautiful city with poetic charms and cutting-edge technology. I have traveled to different countries, and this service is the most convenient and fast way," said Mexican tourist Andrea Mu?ozledo.

"Keep making good products, keep innovating, and keep up the quality and policies," Goyon said. "A good product speaks for itself."

As China continues to advance in terms of technology and the streamlining of policies to enhance the consumer experience, its high-tech products are poised to strengthen their position in the global market and attract more international buyers, said Pan Helin, a member of an expert committee under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.