As China’s firms go global, foreign expertise is becoming a hot commodity

It is the middle of the night in Dongguan, one of China’s biggest export hubs, but Peng Biao is still editing videos.

In the footage, a factory owner from the city steps off a plane and greets a Bangladeshi client, before launching into a discussion about the purpose of his trip in slightly hesitant English.

The camera is a bit shaky, but Peng says that gives the scene a more authentic feel. Minutes later, she will upload the video to Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, with artificial intelligence automatically generating English voice-overs and subtitles.

Peng has found a lucrative niche over the past few years helping companies in China’s southern factory belt expand their overseas client bases. Her studio now works with more than a dozen firms in the region, filming videos for them, managing their overseas social media accounts and connecting them with international influencers.