BYD, Huawei & DJI
Company Visit Guide 2026
Three of the most requested company visits on any China executive programme — and three of the most misunderstood in terms of what genuine access looks like, what you actually see, and what preparation makes the difference.
The Most Requested. The Most Misunderstood.
BYD, Huawei, and DJI appear on the wishlist of almost every executive delegation that comes to China. They represent three distinct dimensions of China's current industrial story: the EV and battery transition that is reshaping the global automotive industry; the telecommunications and AI infrastructure that is redefining enterprise technology; and the consumer and commercial drone market that China has come to dominate from a standing start.
But "visiting" these companies means something very different depending on who arranges the visit. A standard tourism channel might get your group into an experience centre or a retail showroom. A properly arranged study tour programme gets your group into a production facility briefing, a technical presentation from a regional manager, or a behind-the-scenes look at R&D operations — access that requires prior relationships and formal coordination, not a booking form.
"The question is not whether you visit BYD or Huawei. The question is what level of access you get — and what you come away genuinely understanding."
BYD — The World's Largest EV Manufacturer
BYD (Build Your Dreams) is, by volume, the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer. Headquartered in Shenzhen, it produces everything from passenger EVs and commercial buses to batteries, semiconductors, and solar panels. Understanding BYD is, in many ways, understanding how China's EV industrial ecosystem works.
Founded in 1995 as a battery manufacturer, BYD has grown into one of China's most strategically significant technology conglomerates. Its vertical integration — producing its own batteries, chips, motors, and vehicle bodies — is the structural advantage that most international automotive executives come to understand firsthand.
- Production facility overview: EV assembly, battery integration, quality systems
- Briefing on BYD's blade battery technology and what makes it structurally different
- Overview of the vertical integration model — why it matters for cost and innovation speed
- Discussion of BYD's international expansion strategy and target markets
- Q&A with company representatives (depth varies by delegation profile)
Automotive industry executives assessing EV supply chains, investors evaluating the Chinese EV sector, government trade delegations examining industrial policy, and MBA programmes focused on technology strategy or emerging markets.
Huawei — The Infrastructure Behind China's Digital Economy
Huawei is, by revenue, one of the world's largest technology companies — and one of the most complex to understand from outside China. The publicly debated narrative around its international telecom business obscures a far more significant story: Huawei's role as the primary infrastructure provider for China's enterprise digitalisation, AI deployment, and smart city development.
Huawei's headquarters campus in Longhua, Shenzhen spans over 1.5 square kilometres. Its European-style architecture and research facilities are designed specifically as a context for international business visitors — though the substance of what is discussed during a properly arranged visit goes far beyond the visual impression.
- Campus overview and context briefing on Huawei's business structure and strategy
- Showcase of enterprise AI and cloud solutions — deployed at scale in China
- Demonstration of 5G infrastructure capabilities and smart city applications
- Discussion of Huawei's R&D investment model (15%+ of revenue annually)
- Briefing on Huawei's domestic market position and the technology ecosystem it supports
Technology sector executives, telecommunications industry delegations, government digital transformation teams, investors in AI and infrastructure, and MBA programmes covering technology strategy, geopolitics of technology, or China's digital economy.
DJI — How China Built a Global Consumer Tech Category from Scratch
DJI holds approximately 70% of the global consumer drone market. For most executive visitors, the more interesting question is how that happened — and what it reveals about the Shenzhen innovation ecosystem, the speed at which Chinese hardware companies can move from prototype to global market leadership, and the industrial supply chain that makes it possible.
Founded in 2006 by a then-student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, DJI went from a garage operation to the world's dominant drone manufacturer in under a decade. The DJI Sky City campus in Shenzhen, completed in 2022, is one of the most architecturally ambitious corporate campuses in China and serves as both a working headquarters and an exhibition of the company's trajectory.
- Campus visit to DJI Sky City — the architecture itself is a statement of the company's ambition
- Product showcase: consumer drones, professional cinema systems, agricultural UAV platforms
- Discussion of DJI's product development approach and go-to-market speed
- Overview of the Shenzhen hardware ecosystem that supports DJI's supply chain
- Contextual briefing: how DJI represents a broader Chinese hardware innovation model
Consumer electronics executives, hardware startup founders, innovation and R&D teams, investors in technology hardware, government delegations assessing Chinese technology capability, and MBA programmes covering product strategy and emerging market innovation.
How Access to These Companies Is Actually Arranged
This is the part most groups outside China fundamentally misunderstand. Getting a confirmed visit to BYD, Huawei, or DJI — at a level that goes beyond a retail experience — requires established professional relationships, formal coordination, and a track record of delivering credible delegations. None of those are available at short notice through general tourism channels.
What Makes the Difference Between a Good Visit and a Great One
The access level matters, but what your delegation does with that access matters equally. Groups that get the most from BYD, Huawei, and DJI visits share a few consistent characteristics.
Define your questions in advance
General curiosity produces general answers. Specific, informed questions produce specific, useful answers. Before your visit, identify the three or four decisions your organisation needs to make that this visit should inform — and build your questions around those decisions. China Study Tour (CST)'s pre-visit briefing documents are designed to help you do exactly this.
Brief your whole delegation, not just the lead
Company representatives at BYD and Huawei in particular are accustomed to well-prepared international visitors. A delegation where every participant understands the basic context creates a significantly different conversation than one where only the leader has done their homework.
Don't confuse the showroom with the substance
All three companies have designed impressive public-facing experience facilities. These are worth visiting, but they are not the substance of an executive study tour. The substance is the briefings, the conversations, and the answers to questions that cannot be found online.
Plan Your Visit to BYD, Huawei or DJI
China Study Tour (CST) has delivered confirmed access to these companies and 200+ others for 13+ years. Tell us your objectives and group profile — we'll confirm what access is available and design the programme around your goals.
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Published by China Study Tour (CST) · chinastudytour.ai · 13+ years of China executive and educational programmes