Carlos Magarinos, global chairman of the Global Alliance of SMEs and a former director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, said that Anhui had made a "profound impression", pointing to the rapid growth of sectors including new energy batteries and electronic information.

　　Industry experts said that for China, the next manufacturing race is no longer simply about making more, but about making smarter and greener, and creating more advanced technology.

　　Tian Jietang, head of the industrial economics department at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said: "China needs stronger advanced manufacturing capabilities and more resilient supply chains to cope with intensifying international competition."