As the world’s largest producer of ballpoint pens, China makes 40 billion per year. However, the country has always been forced to import the steel used to produce the pen nibs — until now.

Recent reports have suggested that domestic steel companies have made breakthroughs in the technology used to make these pen nibs, news that has gone viral on Chinese social media, as netizens take pride in this technical development, which may appear small, but is of great significance.