Egyptian influencer marvels at China's smart manufacturing behind home appliances

①: Mohamed Elsayed, an internet influencer from Egypt, stands at the door of the workshop of the air conditioner interconnected factory of Chinese home appliance giant Haier in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Li Zhen)

②: Photo shows Mohamed Elsayed, an internet influencer from Egypt, dressed in work attire of the air conditioner interconnected factory of Chinese home appliance giant Haier in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Li Zhen)

③: Photo shows logos of Chinese home appliance giant Haier at IFA Berlin 2025 in Berlin, Germany. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Li Zhen)

④: Mohamed Elsayed, an internet influencer from Egypt, introduces an advanced production line inside the workshop of the air conditioner interconnected factory of Chinese home appliance giant Haier in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Li Zhen)

⑤: Mohamed Elsayed's colleague shoots an Arabic-language video for him at the workshop of the air conditioner interconnected factory of Chinese home appliance giant Haier in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Li Zhen)

Mohamed Elsayed, an internet influencer from Egypt with the Chinese name Li Zhonghua, recently toured the air conditioner interconnected factory of Chinese home appliance giant Haier in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. The visit offered him a behind-the-scenes look at the technologies behind the appliances he uses every day.

"My father ran a business in Egypt and maintained trade relations with China. So I came here when I was 15, and it's been 25 years now," Elsayed said.

In 2003, he enrolled at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, majoring in international trade. "While studying in China, I completely fell in love with the country and decided to live here permanently."

"My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps, but I always had my own passions—filming, scriptwriting, and directing. Luckily, I arrived just as China's short-video industry was taking off. Now I'm a content creator," he said.

His short videos come in both Chinese and Arabic. "Many of my relatives and friends tell me they've learned a great deal about China through my Arabic-language videos," Elsayed said. "China has so many wonderful things and so much worth learning about. I want people in Arab countries to understand China the way I do."

When it comes to Chinese products he would most recommend, air conditioners top the list.

Elsayed uses a Haier air conditioner at his home in Guangzhou. "It's extremely quiet—it never disturbs my sleep. It's smart enough to turn itself off when nobody's home, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology enables it to adjust airflow based on how far you are from the unit," he said. "How can a home appliance be so intelligent? China's manufacturing sector is truly remarkable."

He has also recommended Chinese appliances to family members abroad. "Many places in Arab countries are even hotter than Guangzhou. Reliable air conditioners are essential—and Haier products are easy to find in my hometown," he noted.

Recently, he visited a Haier home appliance store in Zhengzhou's Erqi district, where store manager Shan Yingzhen introduced new technologies applied in home appliances.

A washer-dryer combo equipped with a human-sensing system automatically opens its door when users approach. It can wash silk, wool, and other fabrics once considered unsuitable for machines. For down jackets or outdoor gear, users can indicate whether the items will be worn immediately or stored—the machine then scans the garments and adjusts drying levels accordingly.

One of the store's best-selling refrigerators allows fruits, vegetables, and dry goods to be stored in different temperature- and humidity-controlled zones. Its freezer uses magnetic-field-assisted freezing technology to keep fish fresh for up to 60 days.

Then there are the AI-enhanced air conditioners. "AI improves convenience in many ways. Air conditioners with AI offline voice recognition can understand commands like 'make it warmer' or 'don't blow directly at me' without an internet connection—especially helpful for elderly people and children," Shan said.

AI also enhances user comfort. Units with AI self-cleaning can draw on large AI models and cloud computing to obtain real-time data on external temperature, humidity, and air quality. Based on usage duration and user habits, air conditioners assess microbial and dust buildup, and select the optimal cleaning mode, Shan added.

"These innovative technologies are incredible. Now I'm even more curious about how these appliances are developed and manufactured. I'd love to tour a production line," Elsayed said.

At Haier's air conditioner interconnected factory in Zhengzhou, quality manager Guo Ketao told Elsayed that the facility covers 150,000 square meters and has a designed annual capacity of 4 million units. "During peak production, an air conditioner rolls off the line every seven seconds," Guo said.

Automated and unmanned equipment is widely used across production stages, ensuring high efficiency and energy conservation.

The computer board—essentially the air conditioner's "brain"—is produced in a workshop equipped with intelligent systems including smart storage, high-precision chip mounters, and advanced component insertion machines. With quality checks at every stage, the facility ensures consistently high performance for each circuit, chip, and solder joint, achieving a first-pass yield rate above 99.9 percent.

"Chinese factories today are incredible! I originally wanted to experience just one production stage, but the more I saw, the more I wanted to understand every single step," Elsayed said.

"This was a wonderful opportunity. Now I understand why Chinese-made home appliances perform so well and are sold worldwide," he added.