Television host Janis Chan recently offered viewers an unprecedented look inside China’s rapidly evolving automotive and transport sectors, showcasing the convergence of high-tech manufacturing, visionary aerospace projects, and massive global shipping capabilities. This exploration, featured in a recent installment of the program Endless Road V – Boundless Intellect, revealed how efficiency, innovation, and strategic logistics are solidifying China’s increasingly prominent role in the international vehicle market.
Chan’s journey began at a major car manufacturing hub in Guangzhou, where she witnessed a highly automated assembly line in action. Guided by a senior assembly manager, Chan observed the staggering pace of production: one finished vehicle rolls off the line every 53 seconds. This unparalleled speed is achieved through the coordinated efforts of 436 industrial robots working in synergy, ensuring both meticulous precision and maximized throughput. This level of automation underscores the investment in smart factories driving China’s manufacturing upgrade.
The focus quickly shifted from ground vehicles to the skies, as Chan visited a facility dedicated to the mass production of innovative flying cars. She chronicled a major milestone: one company’s fifth-generation aerial vehicle is now entering its global inaugural mass-production phase, with test flights imminent. This development signals the beginning of a transformative era where low-altitude urban mobility transitions from a futuristic concept to a practical, commercially viable transport solution.
Chan also sat down with Zhao Deli, the visionary founder pushing this aerial innovation forward. Hailing from a rural village in Hunan province, Zhao embodies a decade-long commitment to realizing the dream of personal flight. He recounted his childhood aspirations, sharing, “When I was young, my father asked me what I wanted to be, and I said I wanted to be a pilot.” From 2013 to 2018, Zhao poured all his savings into research and development, culminating in the successful launch of his prototype flying motorcycle. His story highlights the tenacity needed to transform disruptive technology into market reality.
The final segment of Chan’s documentary delved into the crucial logistical infrastructure supporting China’s surging automotive exports. At a shipyard in Xiamen, outfitted with safety gear, Chan observed the large-scale shipbuilding operations that have propelled China to the global forefront of car carrier exports. She toured one of the world’s largest LNG dual-fuel car carriers constructed by Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry. Nicknamed the “Sea Behemoth,” this colossal vessel can transport approximately 7,500 automobiles, boasting a total deck area equivalent to 12 international-standard football fields.
This naval expansion is a strategic move. As China accelerates the development of its independent ocean-going shipping fleet, it simultaneously reduces reliance on external logistics providers—a move critical for safeguarding the supply chain stability of its rapidly expanding new energy vehicle (NEV) segment. China’s NEV exports have already seized the top global ranking, and securing the necessary oceanic transport capacity is a vital step in maintaining this momentum and mitigating potential geopolitical risks associated with logistics hubs.
The convergence of smart manufacturing, aerial mobility, and strategic maritime power depicted in Chan’s reporting illustrates a nation repositioning itself not just as a global manufacturing hub, but as an integrated transport and innovation leader. These technological leaps and strategic investments are fundamentally reshaping the global automotive landscape and defining the rules of future transportation.
