Every figure in the report falls into one of four categories:
The table lists the figures that call for caution. On the site, each figure concerned links here.
| Figure | Value cited | Origin | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automation of the Honor line | 85% since 2024 | Company presentation | Presented during the visit |
| Honor production rate | 18.5 seconds per phone | Visit note | Observed during the visit |
| Huawei R&D | Nearly 25% of revenue in 2026 (forecast) | Internal presentation seen during the visit, not public | Source deemed reliable by the author |
| Huawei R&D headcount | 114,000 people, or 50% of the workforce | Internal presentation. The annual report states 53.7% | Minor gap |
| Shein patents | More than 200 | Presentation at Shein's innovation centre | Confirmed, attributed to Shein |
| Fewer defects at Shein's suppliers | 30 to 40% | Presentation in Chinese. The interpreter gives 38 or 39% | Range kept |
| Systems developed for Shein's suppliers | 3 000 | Presentation. The speaker said the figure is not official | Kept, attributed to Shein |
| Shein suppliers | 6 500 | Shein France representative. Public documents give 7,500 active suppliers on average in 2025 | Ambiguous |
| Vipshop shipments | 8 million a day | Visit note. Public: 732 million orders in 2025, around 2 million a day | Presented during the visit |
| Vipshop return rate | 60 to 70% for clothing, 30 to 50% for electronics | Host estimate, not validated by the speaker | Unofficial |
| Vipshop on-time deliveries | About 80% | Speaker during the visit | Confirmed |
| Vipshop delivery time | 48 hours | Visit note, confirmed by the author | Confirmed |
| AION plant visited | 200,000 cars a year, close to 2,000 people, 90% of processes automated outside assembly | Guide during the visit (delegation video) | Presented during the visit |
| BYD production rate | 52 seconds per vehicle, 70 an hour | Visit note | Raw figure, reported by the company |
| Operator wage | €1,000 to €1,200 | Honor (visit note); Shein (representative, not verified) | Consistent with the public average, about €900 |
| Operator cost noted during a visit | €1,500 to €3,000 a month | Visit note | Set aside: probably an employer cost, or technicians' pay |
| BYD vehicle prices | About 40% cheaper | Visit note | Not verified, not used |