Made in China
Pick up any man-made product nearest you. Chances are that on the bottom or the back, it will have “Made in China” printed on it. In the past 30 years, China has quickly become the powerhouse of the world for producing products, creating hundreds of thousands of factories across the country. China’s influence on the market began hundreds of years ago, inventing such revolutionary items such as gunpowder, Printing, papermaking, and even the compass. The vast population has not only produced 90% of the worlds goods, but they also have had a hand in the worlds inventiveness as well. Let’s take a look at some modern China-made ideas that have spread around the world.
Bike Sharing
China is a huge country, but most of its inhabitants live in cramped epic cityscapes. To combat this overcrowding issue, 4 students invented a bike sharing program that not only reduces the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, but is economical as well. At first, they tested the bikes in a confined space, like a college campus. The idea was so popular; it’s now common to find bikes all over cities, and not just in China. America has adopted this program as well, even adding electronic ones, you know, to appease the less active members of society.
The process of using the bike shares is simple – download the app off the play store, or apple store, and then scan the bike you will use. Navigating with your GPS, it will tell you where there are stations to drop off your bike, and it only takes a few yen (or dollars) to do it.
Online Shopping
If you were to go online right now and google literally any consumer item you can think of, chances are you can get that delivered to your door (granted you have the money to afford it) the next day. Online shopping isn’t new and it wasn’t invented in China, but they have perfected the art of it. With a whopping 750 million online users, China streamlined the process of online shopping and delivery to keep up with the demand. This has sparked resurgence in opportunities for the rural population of China, creating 20 million jobs. This whole shift in cultural consumerism has resulted in an update on marketing strategies, and even sparked the creation of Cyber Monday.
High-Speed Railways
China is a huge country, spanning 2/3rds of the Asian continent and, again, not being the creator of, but perfected the train system. Currently, China holds the record for the longest train system, covering over 20,000 kilometers. They expect that number to double to 45,000 kilometers in 2030! The sheer amount of workers involved, and cheaply made materials are something China has a serious advantage with. This rail system boosts their economy further, and drives more people to work in the city, commuting from more remote villages as the cities expand exponentially.
Electronic Payments
Also not invented by the Chinese, but somehow perfected by them, China now leads the world in the mobile and internet user payment programs. Although China has not fully ditched physical money, further technology advancements push the world further towards a cashless society. Since this is still a very young idea of using computers to handle our currency, there are laws that are still being developed to shape what this future will look like. New regulations are pushing for payment companies to connect to a centralized clearing house, as hacking has become more widespread. The future is NOW!
Those are the four “great new inventions of China” that’s been popping up everywhere. What are your thoughts on the future innovation of China, and the world? Share your thoughts below with us!