Whenever Wang Zhanying talks about his experiences at the 138th Canton Fair last November, his voice exudes excitement and pride. Wang says he tasted sweet success at the fair, a reward for embracing innovation.

Wang launched the M9 portable baby stroller at the Canton Fair, winning the design award of the event, officially known as the China Import and Export Fair.

"Thanks to the support of the Pingxiang County Bicycle Industry Research Institute, we successfully designed the M9 portable baby stroller, which boasts seven patents,"Wang said. "This stroller can fold into a compact size that meets airline carry-on standards, while its innovative design allows the baby to both sit and lie down."

The M9 stroller has already racked up over 10,000 orders following its debut at the fair, propelling Wang's brand, "Xiao Kabu", into markets like the Netherlands, Belgium and Brazil.

"This was unimaginable in the past," said Wang, who has nearly 20 years' experience in the local bicycle industry.

Wang took over the family's bicycle parts business and transitioned that into complete bicycle manufacturing and further on into children's vehicles.

"We used to mainly do original equipment manufacturing, or OEM, which meant products were very similar and profits were slim," Wang recalled. "In the past, when we attended large exhibitions and mentioned that our products were from Hebei, customers would often question their quality. But now, thanks to our innovative designs, our products can represent 'Hebei Manufacturing' on the grand stage of the Canton Fair. When we go out to negotiate collaborations, we can hold our heads high with confidence."

"We've now tasted the fruit of innovation,"Wang said. "We've experienced that when you innovate, the market, including major brands and international clients, will be more likely to trust you. So, we've also hired our own research and development team."

He emphasized: "Only by boldly innovating and designing products that are unique and superior can we win in the future."

Wang's story mirrors the industrial transformation in Pingxiang county of Xingtai, a city in Hebei, a longtime hub of China's bicycle and children's vehicle industry.

Wang Ruiguo, deputy director of Pingxiang's Science, Industry and Information Technology Bureau, said Pingxiang's bicycle and children's vehicle industry evolved over decades from processing parts and OEM manufacturing to a national-level industrial cluster with annual revenues exceeding 34 billion yuan ($4.92 billion), capturing half of the domestic market.

Official data show that Pingxiang currently hosts over 5,000 bicycle-related businesses, producing 155 million units of bicycles, children's vehicles, and toys annually, accounting for 50 percent of the domestic and 40 percent of the international market.

Wang said the local government has steered this giant industry from pure manufacturing toward higher-value, self-branded products, and that this push is bearing fruit.

According to Wang, Pingxiang's bicycle companies are now much more willing to invest in design, with annual design service fees exceeding 80 million yuan.

"Pingxiang is now planning its own industrial joint design center, which is expected to serve over 100 large-scale enterprises and shorten the product development cycle by an average of 30 percent," Wang said.

Xingtai Tianda Bicycle Co has been a dedicated player in the children's vehicle industry for nearly three decades. According to Dai Yifei, general manager of the company, the key to the industry's future lies in personalization and customization.

To this end, the company began investing in R&D in 2012. Dai said, the company invests about 5 percent of its annual revenue in R&D, focusing on upgrading existing models and exploring the application of new technologies.

In 2024, Tianda launched a 5-in-1 model, combining functionalities including stroller, scooter and electric vehicles, making it suitable for children of different ages. It sold nearly 30,000 units in a year, said Dai.

In 2025, Tianda introduced an innovative, dust-free, built-in reduction gearbox for children's electric vehicles, solving the problems of noise and dust of previous models.

This invention increased the profit margin of related products by 5 percent and orders by over 20 percent, said Dai. After years of dedication to R&D, Tianda now owns about 150 patents, with 3-5 new patents added annually.

Wang Shiqi, deputy secretary-general of the Pingxiang Bicycle and Electric Vehicle Association, said that by the end of 2025, the county held 58 valid invention patents and 2,285 utility model patents.

"The number of enterprise R&D centers in Pingxiang has grown from 21 in 2021 to 68. Over 200 enterprises are collaborating with professional design companies, research institutes and universities to develop and innovate products," Wang Shiqi said.

For Yao Xihua, general manager of Xingtai Jianli Bicycle Co, increasing investment in design innovation and manufacturing upgrades has not only enhanced his company's competitiveness, but also expanded its market.

Yao took over the company founded by his father in 1999 and established his own bicycle brand, GENT, around four years ago, focusing on innovative design of model types to create his own unique style.

"A customer from Bangladesh saw one of our bikes with a uniquely designed wheel spoke in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, and spent six months searching for our factory," Yao shared proudly. Currently, Yao's own brand is exported to countries like Nepal and Syria.

To enhance his company's competitiveness, Yao established a dedicated R&D team in 2021, developing over 60 new products annually. He also introduced automated equipment to further improve production accuracy, stability, and efficiency. These investments in manufacturing have allowed Yao's products to enter high-end markets, increasing the profit margin from less than 5 percent to over 10 percent.

Yao's company is also actively exploring cross-border e-commerce to expand its market.

In 2025, Yao's company began to work with platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba.com, and opened an account on TikTok, which has already attracted inquiries from buyers in the United Kingdom, Algeria, and Azerbaijan.

According to Wang Shiqi, cross-border e-commerce has helped local enterprises expand their sales channels in recent years."Many enterprises are using Alibaba.com, Amazon, DHgate to attract buyers."

Zhao Shujun, general manager of Hebei Haolaixi Children's Products Co, said that, through Alibaba.com, her company secured around 10 million yuan worth of orders in 2025 with just a six-person foreign trade team.

As a foreign trade service provider based in Pingxiang, Jieming Company has been dedicated to supporting the exports of the local bicycle and children's vehicle industry since its establishment in 2020.

Shi Nan, assistant to the general manager of the company, said: "Cross-border e-commerce and brand globalization present a significant opportunity for local enterprises to expand overseas. Products sold through cross-border e-commerce can directly build brand influence among consumers and increase corporate profits."

"However, we must also recognize that factors such as product selection, cost estimation and intellectual property protection in cross-border e-commerce will pose significant challenges for local enterprises," Shi said.

"Over the next three years, our company plans to establish a specialized overseas foreign trade service platform. This platform will integrate key areas of foreign trade services, including overseas digital marketing, intellectual property protection and overseas warehousing. By linking domestic and international platforms, we aim to provide comprehensive support for local enterprises in their long-term global journey."