We’d like to share an interesting situation that doesn’t happen often – not just to us, but to almost anyone who works seriously with China.
It all started with a single message from a factory. Josip received a notification that he had appeared in the promotional material of a major Chinese manufacturer of forklifts and other construction machinery.
The message included a link to their video. Classic corporate content – production, testing, logistics, branding.
And there it was, in their ad – a familiar face.
Not in our video. Not in our post. But in their promotional material, which was later used in public distribution, including CCTV. For those who don’t know, China Central Television (CCTV) is China’s main state television and practically the most important media outlet in the country.
In one shot, you can clearly see Josip driving their forklift. That’s why they contacted us – to let us know they had used part of our footage in their commercial.
Photo from the CCTV video
At first glance, it may seem like a small thing. One frame, one person, one machine.
But in the Chinese business world – that doesn’t happen by accident.
Chinese factories, especially serious manufacturers, choose very carefully what – and who – they show in their promotional materials. If that material is going further to major media, the selection is even stricter.
In other words – you don’t just appear there by chance, and you especially don’t end up in promotional material that also goes out to public media.
How this footage was actually created
What you don’t see in that short shot is the full story behind it.
The footage wasn’t taken casually, as part of a factory tour, for photos, or for marketing purposes. It was recorded during our factory visit while we were carrying out a pre‑shipment inspection of forklifts.
Here’s what we were doing at the time:
- quality checks
- machine testing
- direct communication with engineers
- solving concrete issues before shipment
In that process, the machine is checked and tested before it leaves the factory. Before the goods are shipped, we also provide our clients with inspection videos of their products.
That’s when this clip was recorded – Josip driving the forklift and inviting anyone interested in sourcing forklifts to contact us. A part of that video ended up in their commercial.
On‑site video
Footage recorded during a forklift inspection that later appeared in the Chinese factory’s CCTV promotional video
What this actually tells you
We’re not going to use big words like “official partner” or “exclusive representative”.
In China, trust isn’t built with titles – it’s built with presence and work.
- direct access to the factory
- on‑site inspection
- participation in real processes
- being present where decisions are made
And, clearly, enough trust for us to also appear in their own materials.
Why this matters to you
This article isn’t here for us to brag.
It’s about the difference between:
❌ just “communicating with China”
✔️ actually working in China
Because when problems arise, the only things that really matter are:
- whether someone can go to the factory
- whether they can test the product
- whether they can stop the shipment if something is wrong
Everything else is just emails.
Conclusion
To you, this might just look like a curious little detail.
Or it might be a clear example of what real work in China actually looks like.
We’ll keep doing what we’ve always done – being on the ground where needed, checking what needs to be checked, and documenting what others don’t get to see.
And sometimes, someone else ends up filming us along the way.