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Not far from the Canton Fair, there are warrens of workshops in Guangdong making clothes, shoes and bags.

Every detail in Beth's post pointed to the same man, says Clara: "He has a Guangdong accent, he looks honest and he wears a Rolex submariner watch."

Several new workshops have sprung up around him and Chinese companies from textile production heartlands such as Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangdong are moving in to make winter jackets and woollen clothing.

His sudden fame has seen Mr Liang become a sensation on China's social media, where he is being applauded as one of the "three AI heroes" from southern Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong.

"This is the contribution we Chinese people can make to the world," said a 33- year-old supervisor from Guangdong, who didn't want to give her name.