From selling belts and lighters to pioneering AI and smart manufacturing, Wenzhou's business trailblazers are rewriting China's economic playbook. 💼✨ These innovators – once dubbed the 'backpack brigade' for their grassroots hustle – now lead global ventures in renewable energy and robotics, embodying what experts call China's new quality productive forces.
From Market Stalls to Global Stages
Starting with humble workshops in the 1980s, Wenzhou's entrepreneurs turned the coastal city into a manufacturing powerhouse. Today, their factories produce 30% of the world's eyeglass frames and 20% of industrial valves, while new ventures in battery tech and automation redefine 'Made in China'. 🔋🤖
Cross-Border Conversations
CGTN's Wang Tao recently explored how these risk-takers balance tradition and innovation: 'They're like economic DJs – remixing local wisdom with global tech beats.' One CEO shared how her grandfather's shoe factory inspired her solar panel startup: 'We’re still solving problems – just for a bigger world.'
Why It Matters
Wenzhou's story mirrors China's private sector boom, now contributing over 60% to national GDP growth. As these businesses go global, they're creating new templates for sustainable development and tech collaboration across continents. 🌐📈
