I fly four different UAV types in my small business activity. They come from three different companies, DJI, Yuneec and Autel. All companies are Chinese, and correct if I'm wrong, but I recall all are based in Shenzhen, southern China, which is literally only a few clicks over the notional border from Hong Kong.
I would take issue with Chinese workers getting paid only pennies a day, their salary is relative to that country's cost of living index - I have family living in China so do have some knowledge in that area.
One thing that China has, and to some extent so does India, is population scale. Take a look at almost everything manufactured in that country and its equivalent counterpart pretty much anywhere else in the world. Where most widgets produced in the US, or Europe can be produced at scale, the domestic market in those places is frequently not enough on its own, requiring overseas sales to 'up' the selling scale enough to help 'down' the production cost scale, while remaining economic and viable. To produce the sort of quantities China can for their domestic market alone is pretty much eye watering to the rest of us, and leaves sales to the rest of the world being a little bit of the cream on top, but which in some instances won't come close to matching their domestic sales figures.
The upside to those sort of production numbers is that any company, anywhere in the world who has a part to play in R&D, design, production, sales and aftermarket add-ons for a particular widget has every opportunity to be a part of that process, wherever the parent company is based. A 'Them' and 'Us' approach I suggest could end up being an "own goal", and for some then being unable to get back into the field of play; having figuratively shot themselves in the foot at the same time!
Happy and safe flying - from wherever your UAV has come from ?
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