Chinese innovators showcase their wares

Chinese enterprises are showcasing a wide array of innovative products and services at the consumer technology extravaganza in Las Vegas.

According to the organizers of the CES, which was opening its doors in the Nevada city on Thursday, the 480-plus Chinese companies present include big names such as TCL, Lenovo and Hisense as well as startups. In all, they account for 16 percent of the exhibitors at the 2023 edition of the consumer electronics industry gathering.

Product categories range from audiovisual, electric vehicles and smart homes to autonomous driving, gaming and digital health, as well as sustainable energy.

Among the lineup from China are 180 startups and small companies headquartered in Guangdong province, one of China's most economically vibrant areas. These companies are playing a vital role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

RoboSense, based in Shenzhen, has brought to the event its automotive-grade LiDAR M series and E series sensors.

Regardless of operational scale and development history, Chinese companies at the CES tend to position themselves as global players, with their commitment to innovation and research.

During a media presentation on Wednesday, David Gold, president of TV manufacturer Hisense (USA), introduced the UX — an 85-inch, 4K, mini-LED QLED TV powered by Hisense's ULED X platform. The unit features more than 20,000 mini-LEDs.

"We are not just about innovating, we are about making technology widely available" for consumers, said Stephan Yao, general manager of Hisense USA. Some 5 percent of Hisense's yearly revenue will go on research and development.

World Cup sponsor

TV industry analysts ranked Hisense No 1 in China and second globally by volume of shipments in the second quarter of 2022. That hard-won market position enabled Hisense to become an official sponsor of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Evaluated by a stringent judging panel and competing against counterparts worldwide, award-winning Chinese companies were "honored for outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products", the CES organizers said.

In home audio and video components and accessories, TCL Electronics won two innovation awards for its Mini LED 4K TV 75C935 and Mini LED 4K TV 75C835, scoring high on display, design, and viewer accessibility for home theater experiences.

Zhang Shaoyong, chief executive of TCL, said the company has established a well-rounded supply chain on a global scale, with business spanning Asia, the United States, Europe, Latin America and Oceania, and sales in over 80 countries and regions.

For computer giant Lenovo, the aim is to provide individuals and small and medium-sized businesses with devices and computing systems in an ever-changing workplace.

The ThinkPad X1 Fold, with the adoption of a 16.3-inch display that folds down to the footprint of a 12-inch notebook, won the CES Innovation Award in the computer hardware and components category. Its Project Chronos, which captures movement via a camera that replicates users' real-time actions, propelled Lenovo to an award in virtual and augmented reality.

In robotics and smart homes, several products made in China, such as the Enabot EBO X family companion robot, the Snapmaker Artisan 3-in-1 3D printer, and the Airly Chair, outperformed their international counterparts and were awarded for their connectivity and artificial intelligence technologies.