From rickety bikes to automated strollers, modernization transforms county

World exposure

According to Chai, there's a saying in the industry that, "The world looks to China for baby strollers, while China looks to Pingxiang for them."

Pingxiang county now stands as a powerhouse in the bicycle and child vehicle industry, boasting over 8,000 upstream and downstream enterprises, according to the local government.

It produces about 50 percent of the nation's and 40 percent of the world's bicycles and child vehicles, with products exported to over 100 countries and regions, statistics show.

In recent years, a growing number of foreign merchants have traveled to the county to inspect and purchase bicycles, strollers and components.

Ilhomjon Turdikulov, a buyer from Uzbekistan, visited Pingxiang on June 10 to purchase bicycle parts, and stayed in the county for about a week.

"The parts I bought last time have sold out, so I came for some new ones," he said, adding that the components he purchased in Pingxiang are very popular in his country. His previous journey was in March.

Turdikulov is an old friend of Qin Shaopeng, sales manager of Xingtai Yakexi Bicycle Co in Pingxiang, which produces bicycles and strollers, and parts for bikes, strollers and tricycles. He speaks Russian fluently with Turdikulov.

"All of our products are made for export to Central Asian countries, which have strong demand for the bicycles and their parts," Qin said.

"We have known each other for four or five years, and he (Turdikulov) always comes to us at least twice a year," Qin said. "Years ago, foreign purchasers only bought 100 bike parts or so each time they visited. Today, it's at least 300 or 400," he said proudly, adding that customers like Turdikulov are satisfied with the quality of Pingxiang-made products.

"Every time I come, I find new products. This time, I have already ordered three truckloads of goods," Turdikulov said.

Customers like Turdikulov learn about the county through trade shows or are introduced to its products by friends and colleagues. E-commerce platforms are also helping local businesses go global.

The county has hosted 19 consecutive expos to showcase its bicycles, child vehicles, and toys. The latest exhibition in March attracted more than 1,500 companies from inside and outside the province and customers from around the globe, with 4.15 billion yuan in orders made, according to local government data.

"While people around the world come to Pingxiang, the industry has evolved from small assembly operations into a sophisticated cluster with a complete industrial chain, covering everything from raw materials like steel, plastic, and rubber to parts manufacturing, whole-vehicle assembly, research and development, and modern logistics," Chai said.

It is a key pillar of the local economy, employing 120,000 people and generating revenue of over 30 billion yuan in 2024, according to Li Yunping, an official with the county's market supervision and administration bureau.