A foreign company representative exchanges contact info with his Chinese counterparts. [Photo/Tide News]

A business delegation of representatives from more than 150 foreign companies in the United States, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom and Canada visited Hangzhou on a fact-finding tour from April 23 to 24, signaling rising global interest in the Chinese tech hub.

Instead of the traditional tourist stops, delegates headed straight to innovation hubs like China Biopharma Town, Alibaba Group's Xixi campus, Cainiao Group headquarters, and a local embodied AI robotics town.

At Alibaba, visitors examined infrastructure built for peak e-commerce traffic, while at Cainiao they observed algorithm-driven packaging optimization and smart logistics systems. At the biomedical hub, clusters of life science startups and shared research platforms drew particular attention from overseas firms seeking collaboration opportunities.

Robotics companies also attracted strong interest. At Unitree Robotics, foreign engineers closely inspected quadruped robots and their core components, while other firms received on-the-spot partnership inquiries.

Participants said the visit reflected a shift in perception — from "Made in China" to "Created in China". Rather than focusing on costs, companies are now evaluating Hangzhou's innovation density, supply chain proximity and speed from prototyping to commercialization.

Officials noted that many foreign firms are now considering long-term investment and R&D integration in the Chinese market. For many delegates, Hangzhou has emerged as a potential base for technology collaboration and global expansion.

Foreign representatives learn about quadrupled robots. [Photo/Tide News]