US is waging a tech war against this Shenzhen district

City has grown from a fishing village of 30,000 people to a sprawling manufacturing and innovation megacity of more than 13 million

Shenzhen caught in crossfire of tech war as country’s most advanced technologies, from AI to drones and robotics, being developed in the area

Reading Time:3 minutes

Employees step out from a shuttle bus near a Huawei 5G sign on display at its headquarters in Shenzhen. Photo: AP

Published: 6:00am, 30 May 2019Updated: 1:39pm, 30 May 2019

Every lunchtime hundreds of young Chinese tech workers spill out of their offices onto streets in the Yue Hai district of Shenzhen, eager to grab tables before restaurants fill up.

The area – home to some of China’s biggest names in technology, including social media giant Tencent, telecoms maker ZTE and drone giant DJI – is often called China’s Silicon Valley.

Now, a joke that went viral online has put Yue Hai on the map amid the escalating US-China tech war.

“Rather than China, it seems the US government has started a tech war with Yue Hai. It is the district officer who should attend the negotiations with US President Donald Trump,” said the post, referring to the local government official in charge of administrative affairs in Yue Hai.

Streets and buildings in Yue Hai are tech-themed: Tencent’s original headquarters is located on Science and Research Road, while DJI is on High Tech Road, about half an hour’s walking distance away.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x