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UK tech advocates explore opportunities in China

By Bo Leung in London | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-11-15 07:29
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Russ Shaw, founder of Global Tech Advocates, speaks at the first GTA Festival in China. Photo provided to China Daily

China will soon surpass the United Kingdom for technological advancements as the nation seeks to become a global tech leader.

That's according to Russ Shaw, founder of Global Tech Advocates, who organized the inaugural GTA Festival in China last month.

Shaw hailed the weeklong event as a success and said there are enormous opportunities for technology companies in both China and the West to collaborate.

He said technology industries in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen are leading the way in innovation.

A delegation of more than 50 people from advocate groups, businesses, technology companies, and startups attended the weeklong event that was aimed at introducing China's technology hubs, Chinese entrepreneurs, its investors, and officials to people wanting to collaborate with them.

The group visited sites including the Zhangjiang High Tech Park, which is one of the largest innovation zones in China, as well as the Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing, which is known as Z-park. The park is one of around 16 such innovation parks in Beijing in a range of businesses, housing units, schools and hospitals and are a concept that Shaw hopes will catch on in London.

"I believe there are plans to put such innovation parks in the City of London, which is being negotiated at the moment," he said. "China is creating mini cities within cities and I hope they do try that in the UK. The model I saw in Chaoyang (district, in Beijing) was fascinating … people don't have to commute and it's a five to 10 minute walk to the office. There are restaurants and a lot of culture in all this space and the people don't have to put up with the motorways in Beijing."

Intellectual property theft remains an issue in the world's second-largest economy, but Shaw believes that China will be strengthening IP rules much more as its technology progresses.

"What we might see is a reverse, in that businesses could try and take some of the IP from China because it is more advanced in more areas," Shaw said. "China will have a lot more to lose if they don't strengthen IP rules and protect themselves better."

Shaw expects to see improvements during the coming five years and believes, as China reinforces its IP laws, more Western businesses will feel comfortable doing business in China.

Global Tech Advocates evolved from Tech London Advocates, and now spans 16 of the world's fastest-growing technology hubs and regions and represents more than 12,000 technology leaders, experts, and investors.

During the festival, it was also announced that two new tech advocate groups will be launched next year, in the Chinese cities of Beijing and Chengdu. They will join existing groups in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

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