"When I came to Zhuhai, I must say it was a mind-blowing experience."
That was how Kishore Mahbubani, a prominent scholar and Singapore's former ambassador to the United Nations, described his recent visit to the southern Chinese city, as part of South's "Inside China" series.
From first-hand encounters with low-altitude aviation technology to on-the-ground observation of the deepening integration between the Chinese mainland and Macao, Mahbubani said Zhuhai's emerging industries — particularly those linked to the so-called low-altitude economy — left the strongest impression on him.
"In many areas, China is now number one in technology," he said. "That, to me, is what impressed me most on this trip."
A 'city in the sky' taking shape
At the Tangjia Port Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Logistics Operations Base, Mahbubani was briefed on how unmanned aerial vehicles are already being used for island inspections, firefighting, aquaculture, and logistics.
He also watched live demonstrations of cargo drones and passenger-carrying electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs — often described as "air taxis."
Safety was his first concern. Pointing to one eVTOL aircraft, he asked how many propellers could fail before a safe landing became impossible.
"Even if five propellers stop at random, the aircraft can still fly safely," replied Zhang Hong, vice-president of EHang. "Even eight would be fine."
Mahbubani appeared particularly struck by the fact that EHang has become the world's first company to receive commercial airworthiness certification for civilian, passenger-carrying unmanned eVTOL aircraft. Its aircraft are now approved for commercial operations.
"We are also the first company developing next-generation aircraft to be listed on Nasdaq," Zhang said.
To Mahbubani, these developments pointed to a broader shift. "In areas like the low-altitude economy, China is clearly at the forefront globally," he said.
Zhuhai, one of China's first special economic zones established in 1980, has seen the rapid development of emerging industries, including the low-altitude economy. The city is now home to more than 75 companies in the sector and operates China's first cross-border low-altitude airspace management system, version 2.0, covering some 3,600 square kilometers across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Kishore Mahbubani experiences a civilian, passenger-carrying unmanned eVTOL aircraft at EHang in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong province. (Photo: South)
Manufacturing under pressure — and ahead
Alongside new industries, Mahbubani also examined how traditional manufacturing is being reshaped through automation and digitalization.
At Gree Electric Appliances (Zhuhai Jinwan) Co., Ltd., rows of industrial robots have largely replaced manual assembly lines. The plant is run by an advanced planning and scheduling system that translates orders directly into machine-level instructions, synchronizing production through data rather than human intervention.
According to Gree, the system has boosted production efficiency by up to 200 percent. The company's main business revenue has grown from around 5.2 billion yuan (about 734 million US dollars) in 1999 to over 189 billion yuan (about 27 billion US dollars) in 2024.
"I don't know how many firms have grown as fast as Gree has," Mahbubani remarked.
During the visit, he posed a blunt question to the factory's management: who are your main competitors?
"In the air-conditioning sector, we essentially have no direct competitors," said Chen Huadong, general manager of Gree's Jinwan subsidiary. He attributed that confidence to the company's control over core technologies, from compressors and motors to electronic components and chips.
Despite rising tariffs imposed by the United States, Chen said Gree's exports have continued to grow. More than 70 percent of its overseas sales are under its own brands, and its products are tailored to different markets — from cooling at 65 degrees Celsius in the Middle East to heating at minus 30 in northern Europe. In the first half of this year, exports rose by 19 percent.
"Visiting Gree was a mind-blowing experience," Mahbubani said. Attempts to slow China's technological progress through trade or technology restrictions, he added, "will fail".
Kishore Mahbubani visits Gree Electric Appliances (Zhuhai Jinwan) Co., Ltd. in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong province. (Photo: South)
A 'mini Macao' across the water
Strolling through the Macao New Neighborhood in Zhuhai's Hengqin, streets are lined with bilingual signs in traditional Chinese and Portuguese. Community and senior service centers operated by the General Union of Neighbor Association of Macao sit quietly alongside the Hengqin campus affiliated with Macao's Hou Kong Middle School.
Tian Yi, director of the association's Guangdong office, told Mahbubani that Macao, covering just 33 square kilometers with a population of nearly 700,000, is one of the world's most densely populated regions. Its economy has long been dominated by tourism and gambling, and limited land resources add further constraints. These structural challenges became more apparent during the 2008 global financial crisis.
The Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, established in 2021, was designed to provide Macao with new opportunities for economic diversification.
The zone has encouraged the development of sectors including traditional Chinese medicine, modern financial services, high technology, and the conventions, exhibitions, trade, culture, and sports industries. According to official figures, more than 30,000 Macao residents and over 7,500 Macao-invested enterprises have established operations there.
The Hengqin Cross-Border E-commerce (Huafa) Innovation Industrial Park illustrates the zone's push to support new industries. The park has attracted more than 150 companies within just over a year, including more than 40 from Macao.
Liu Xin, deputy general manager of the park's development company, explained to Mahbubani that Macao-invested enterprises benefit from government incentives higher than those offered to other firms, and traditional e-commerce companies can receive up to 80 percent in rent subsidies. Companies operating in Hengqin also enjoy a corporate income tax rate capped at 15 percent, while personal income tax is similarly limited to 15 percent.
"Zhuhai and Shenzhen have long benefited from their proximity to the highly open economies of Hong Kong and Macao. Today, Hong Kong and Macao face their own economic challenges," Mahbubani said. "Enhanced collaboration across these regions could produce tangible, mutual benefits."
Kishore Mahbubani visits the Hengqin Cross-Border E-commerce (Huafa) Innovation Industrial Park in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong province. (Photo: South)
Reflecting on the journey, Mahbubani said that even for someone who follows China closely, the scale of progress he witnessed was striking.
"Even though I try to stay on top of developments in China, my mind has been blown by seeing the extraordinary progress here this time," he said.
He placed those observations in a wider historical context. "When World War II ended, there was only one industrial giant — the United States. Countries went there to learn how to grow. That was true 80 years ago. But the world has changed."
His conclusion was direct: more people should see these changes for themselves.
"I think it's very important for the rest of the world to come in person and see what's happening here," Mahbubani said. "They'll have a mind-blowing experience. And when they go back, they'll tell people in their own countries: we must cooperate with China."
Project Lead: Zhao Yang
Editorial Coordination: Xie Miaofeng, Ouyang Yan
Project Coordination: Yuan Zixiang
Script: Liu Xiaodi, Ou Xiaoming
Director: Ou Xiaoming
On-screen & Narration: Liu Xiaodi
Cameraman: Guo Hongda
Text: Liu Xiaodi
Logistics: Guo Zedong, Jiang Junyan
Poster Design: Lai Meiya
Editor: Liu Lingzhi
With special thanks to:
Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, The General Union of Neighbor Association of Macao Guangdong Office, EHang Holdings Limited, Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, WESKY (Zhuhai) Airlines Co., Ltd., Hengqin Cross-border E-commerce (Huafa) Innovation Industrial Park
Also contributed by:
Pan Jiajun, Zhan Manqi, Yang Yinan, Chen Sihan, Wu Wenhui, Ouyang Zixuan, Zhang Yuetong, Tan Weizheng, Chen Lihua, Zhong Jing
