Commentary: Encounter with Tire Shop Owner Sparks Reflection on Outdated Perceptions of Chinese Technology
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A Hong Kong resident recently returned from Porto, Portugal—a city with pleasant weather around 20 degrees Celsius—to the sweltering August heat of Hong Kong. Upon arrival, he needed to service his BYD electric vehicle and visited a tire shop in Sham Shui Po where he encountered an elderly shop owner who claimed Chinese electric cars merely copied foreign technology .
Key Points
- The author paid 250 Hong Kong dollars for a tire change at a shop in Sham Shui Po, where an elderly shop owner in his 60s to 70s made dismissive comments about Chinese electric vehicles, warning they were "copied" from foreign countries .
- The author argued that if Chinese electric vehicles truly copied Western technology, major foreign automakers would have filed patent lawsuits that would have bankrupted these Chinese manufacturers .
- Referencing Joseph Needham, the renowned Cambridge University scholar, the author highlighted over 100 Chinese technological inventions including the compass, papermaking, printing technology, and gunpowder that fundamentally shaped Western development, enabling the Age of Exploration and the Industrial Revolution .
- The author noted that government vehicles on Hong Kong streets predominantly feature Japanese brands like Suzuki and European brands like BMW, with no Chinese electric vehicle brands visible in official fleets .
- The commentary criticizes the "outdated mindset" of those who reject new knowledge, arguing that continuous learning and absorption of diverse skills and perspectives are essential for progress and innovation .
Why It Matters
This incident reflects a broader cultural tension between outdated perceptions and technological reality in Hong Kong. The city's continued reliance on traditional combustion vehicle fleets while ignoring advanced Chinese electric vehicle options contradicts climate commitments and represents a missed opportunity to support innovative domestic technology. Such attitudes may hinder Hong Kong's integration with the Greater Bay Area's rapidly advancing technology sector.
This incident reflects a broader cultural tension between outdated perceptions and technological reality in Hong Kong. The city's continued reliance on traditional combustion vehicle fleets while ignoring advanced Chinese electric vehicle options contradicts climate commitments and represents a missed opportunity to support innovative domestic technology. Such attitudes may hinder Hong Kong's integration with the Greater Bay Area's rapidly advancing technology sector.