A visitor views paintings by Leonardo da Vinci.  [Photo provided to China Daily]

So why exactly is this celebration of a great non-Chinese mind from over 500 years ago the perfect exhibition for China's new era? It's because China is going all-in on new technology and aims to be the leader in high technology in a dozen years. It's because young people congregating in and around the venue are already, or about to be, studying AI or related fields in high school, if not before. It's because the accomplishments of Leonardo will spur them on to creating a better country, and hopefully a better world.

I saw an example of this up close and personal in Shenzhen this past weekend at the Zero One Technology Fair, which featured some of the most cutting-edge tech products. Zero One is a meeting point between China and the world's brightest scientists and techies who aim to generate universal well-being through advanced technology. Zero One featured a rich array of new technology in many important fields. These included smart medicine and healthcare, smart homes and communities, smart offices, smart businesses, smart security, even smart logistics and warehousing. Leonardo would have loved it.