In the early 2000s, China adopted a development model based on low-wage manufacturing, which led to a reputation that “Made in China” meant poor-quality goods. In recent years, Beijing has been making changes to bolster the competitiveness of its domestic companies and to catch up with high-tech development in the West.
In May 2016, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang spoke of the need to upgrade the country’s manufacturing sector: “China is already a big manufacturing nation, but far from a manufacturing power. Integration of manufacturing and the internet is an inevitable path of modern industry,” according to the state-run China Daily.
