Four new inventions

The term Four new inventions (Chinese: 新四大发明; pinyin: xīn sì dà fāmíng) is a slogan promoted by Chinese state media, drawing inspiration from the Four Great Inventions of ancient China. In 2017, Chinese state media began asserting that mainland China "invented" high-speed rail, mobile payment, e-commerce, and bike-sharing. However, none of the technologies underlying these "four new inventions" originated in mainland China. However, Xiamen University Professor Xu Gongcheng argues, China "used these technologies to come up with the new inventions", and China "has outpaced other countries in the widespread adoption and adaptation" of these technologies.