Is China the next world leader in tech?

This shrewd tactic has seen Huawei become the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, while Chinese-owned multinational Lenovo is fourth, and five-year-old Xiaomi fifth.

With Android controlling 76.6 per cent of the smartphone market, the fact that three of its top four brands are Chinese is telling.

Lenovo is also a market leader in the PC and tablet industries, and the ubiquity of Chinese goods in western homes and offices is only increasing.

As China's economy contiues to develop and its population grows wealthier, the expansion of companies such as Xiaomi, Huawei and Lenovo is likely to accellerate exponentially, with expanding revenues allowing them to push into new markets.  

The rise of low-cost, high-performance technology from this region isn't new, however. Japan experienced a similar period of rapid growth, when the country's output went from being viewed as cheap, sub-par knock-offs to the very best in top-of-the-line equipment.

While Japan's star may be on the wane, China looks decidedly set on taking its place. With the country's tech products growing in sophistication and popularity daily, and with its brands making a worldwide push for recognition through increased marketing, it could be only a matter of time before everything from our smartphones to our smartwatches aren't just made in China - they're designed there too.