10Oct
Hello from China
August, 2025
I’ve just come back from a week in China and Hong Kong, and the trip was an experience worth sharing.
The journey into China itself was a highlight. Instead of lining up at Hong Kong immigration, I caught the international ferry straight across to Shenzhen. The process couldn’t have been easier – they even collected my luggage directly from the plane and transferred it onto the ferry. Forty-five minutes later I was stepping off in China with bags in hand.
China feels like it’s operating a step into the future. Every single taxi or hire car I used was electric. Charging stations are on every corner, and one of the hotels I stayed at even had a full battery swap station tucked behind it. Traffic technology is equally impressive. In one car, I was taken out for lunch and it simply drove itself through the middle of Shenzhen traffic – no drama, just part of daily life there
One of the most impressive factory visits I made was to a cable manufacturer. They were a complete operation — right from bags of raw plastic granules through to fully finished products, all done in-house. Watching that whole process under one roof was genuinely amazing.
There were a few moments that reminded me I was in a different part of the world. A typhoon passed through Huizhou, short-lived but dramatic, with thunder so loud it shook the windows. The contrast was hopping on China’s high-speed rail the next day: smooth, incredibly fast, and so well organised it makes most other systems look outdated.
Everywhere I went I was treated warmly, and I couldn’t help but notice I didn’t hear a single American voice all week – not this trip, and not in April either. Maybe something to do with tariffs or politics, but it stood out.
I came back with new ideas bubbling away and, at long last, the Android tags I’ve been waiting for are on their way. A fascinating trip, and one that left me impressed with how quickly China is moving when it comes to technology and infrastructure.
– Paul O’Connor
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