China: above all, fast and agile

The high speed of the introduction of new technology and the agility of companies and people - that, above all, is how China managed to be the only country on Earth in 2020 with a positive economic growth. China expert Pascal Coppens referred to this in his online presentation in the Global DIY-Network. In concrete terms, he sees three areas in which the country is leading: infrastructure, reacting to the concerns of customers and users (user adaptation) as well as the ability of handling high levels of competitive pressure.
When it came to the point on infrastructure, for example, he mentioned their leading edge in blockchain technology and the 5G network coverage which already make autonomous driving and telemedicine suitable for daily use. He supported the point about user adaptation with the examples of mobile payment, which is a matter of course in China and has also made credit cards uncommon, and super-apps which bundle very many everyday applications with one provider. In retail, areas such as gaming, social commerce and live streaming are also currently topical.
A do-it-yourself culture, explained Coppen when asked by the host Ken Hughes, is continuing to develop slowly. However the young generation is beginning to discover it as a way of expressing their own lifestyle. Saving money is not the motiving factor here.