Global Times: A stable China is fertile ground for foreign businesses to develop
BEIJING, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed expanding high-standard opening up and broadening access to global markets.
Greater efforts will be made to attract and utilize foreign investment in the 2026-2030 period, according to a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).
China boasts the world's most complete industrial system, the advantage of a super-large market, and surging momentum toward innovative and higher-quality development. Foreign enterprises are sharing in the dividends of China's high-quality development in cutting-edge fields such as intelligent manufacturing and the digital economy. Walking with China means walking with opportunities. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will continue to work with global investors in a two-way exchange, jointly writing more wonderful stories of mutual success.
Volkswagen: 'We will unswervingly deepen our presence in the Chinese market'
On March 10, stepping into the final assembly workshop of Volkswagen (Anhui) Automotive Company in Hefei, East China's Anhui Province, one sees orange robotic arms whirling and rotating, while intelligent guided vehicles shuttle back and forth. A brand-new new-energy vehicle (NEV) is about to roll off the line. This year, Volkswagen Anhui plans to launch four NEV models.
"In China for China" is Volkswagen's new development strategy in China. "Volkswagen can basically be considered half a Chinese company now," Shao Jian, chief human resources officer of Volkswagen Anhui, said with a smile.
Germany's Volkswagen Group has been deepening its presence in China for over 40 years. After the establishment of Volkswagen Anhui (formerly known as JAC Volkswagen Automotive Co), the foreign partner increased its investment, raising its stake from 50 percent to 75 percent. This marks Volkswagen Group's first joint venture in China dedicated exclusively to NEVs.
Volkswagen has established the Volkswagen Smart E-mobility Hub in Hefei, and in recent years, its business footprint has continued to expand. In 2022, Volkswagen (Anhui) Digital Sales and Services Company was founded; in 2023, an additional investment of 1 billion euros was made to establish Volkswagen Group China Technology Company, covering R&D of intelligent connected vehicles, parts development and procurement, and more.
Hefei serves as Volkswagen's production base and is also the group's first global center for NEV R&D, innovation, and parts procurement outside of its German headquarters. Currently, Volkswagen has set up three key entities in Hefei across the value chain, encompassing R&D, manufacturing, and sales within the NEV industry ecosystem. Over the past five years, cumulative investments have reached 3.5 billion euros. As Ralf Brandstätter, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said, "Volkswagen Anhui is our main base," and "China has become Volkswagen Group's second home market."
Volkswagen's development trajectory in Hefei vividly illustrates this point. "In China for China" - Volkswagen's development strategy in China is both a choice for the future and its very embodiment.
"We will unswervingly deepen our presence in the Chinese market and continue to invest in strengthening our local R&D capabilities," Brandstätter said.
Trayton Group: 'Stability and sustainability of China's economic development is a significant boon to the world economy'
Trayton Group was founded in Shanghai in 1995. Its founder and CEO, Simon Lichtenberg, is from Denmark and came to China to study in the 1980s.
"China's manufacturing sector is highly developed and ranks among the world's top. Why should we move factories elsewhere? Not making use of China's manufacturing capabilities would be a loss to global value creation. This land holds boundless opportunities; only through firsthand experience can one truly appreciate its vibrant development potential," Lichtenberg said.
In Lichtenberg's view, the key to entrepreneurial success in China lies in the country's vast consumer base, favorable business environment, and increasingly complete supply chain system.
This year, the Government Work Report included a pledge to "deepen reform of the institutional framework for promoting foreign investment and ensure national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises." Lichtenberg was delighted to hear this, saying that "foreign entrepreneurs must come to China more often and see the country for themselves; otherwise, they may miss many opportunities."
"Industrial manufacturing, new energy, artificial intelligence... In China, every sector can find new growth points," Lichtenberg said.
"As a responsible major power, China actively plays a stabilizing role, and the stability and sustainability of China's economic development is a significant boon to the world economy," Lichtenberg said.
Schneider Electric: 'Investing in China means investing in the future'
"China's economy demonstrates stable resilience and strong growth potential, which not only injects greater certainty into the country's high-quality development but also encourages multinational corporations like Schneider Electric to increase their investment in China," said Yin Zheng, executive vice president of China & East Asia Operations, Schneider Electric.
"China's rapid advancement in new quality productive forces is continuously expanding the landscape of strategic emerging industries while driving large-scale transformation and upgrading of traditional sectors. These favorable conditions provide broad development opportunities for various industries," Yin noted.
He believes that with the deep integration of energy technology and digital technology, China has become a globally important "electric power nation," where innovative scenarios and advanced applications emerge one after another. At the same time, as a global hub for the development of the artificial intelligence industry, China's two major advantages complement each other, forming distinct competitive strengths and promising development prospects.
"Investing in China means investing in the future," Yin said, noting that China is Schneider Electric's second-largest market globally, as well as one of its most important supply chain bases and one of its four major R&D hubs.
Currently, focusing on energy technology, Schneider Electric has established five R&D centers, an AI innovation lab, and 30 factories and logistics centers in China. It works closely with more than 1,600 core suppliers in the country to achieve a highly localized integration of R&D, production, and sales.
From deepening its presence in China to "going global" together, Schneider Electric is partnering with Chinese companies to build a new paradigm of coordinated development and mutually beneficial growth in the global industry through technology sharing, ecosystem co-construction, and comprehensive empowerment.
Sanofi: 'Every upgrade and expansion stem from firm confidence in the Chinese market'
Adjacent to Beijing's South 6th Ring Road, the construction site for Sanofi's insulin active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) industrialization project is bustling with activity. At the start of 2026, this global pharmaceutical giant broke ground on its largest single investment project in China to date, located in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (Beijing Yizhuang).
"With a total investment of approximately 1 billion euro, the project is expected to be fully completed and put into operation by 2032," Wayne Shi, president of Sanofi Greater China, said, adding that China's commitment to opening-up and encouraging innovation has created a favorable environment for foreign enterprises to develop. "We are upbeat on the Chinese market and will continue to deepen our industrial chain layout in China, upgrade innovative medical solutions, and continuously enhance the depth and breadth of medical services, and continue to invest in China."
More than 30 years ago, Sanofi established its presence in Beijing Yizhuang. He Guoling, senior project advisor at Sanofi, said that "the continuously optimized business environment, complete supply chain, technological reserves, and talent resources have made us remain persistently optimistic about China."
Actions speak louder than words. In 1995, a pharmaceutical production base with a total investment of $240 million was established in Beijing Yizhuang; from 2010 to 2025, investments exceeding 1.3 billion yuan were made to expand production lines; in 2026, construction started on a new base with a total investment of approximately 1 billion euro, and more. "Every upgrade and expansion stem from our firm confidence in the Chinese market," He Guoling said. "In the future, this site will become one of Sanofi's most advanced and digitally integrated production bases globally."
Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group: The answer to persistently developing in China lies in opportunities, stability
Inside the CP Center in Beijing, a certificate numbered "0001" is carefully preserved. This is the approval certificate awarded to Chia Tai Conti Ltd in 1981 - China's very first foreign-invested enterprise license.
"This certificate marks the starting point of CP Group in China," said Xie Yi, senior vice president of Thailand's CP Group. Over the past four decades, the group has established 670 enterprises in China, with an annual turnover exceeding 200 billion yuan. As one of the first foreign companies to enter China after the reform and opening-up, CP Group has witnessed the country's transformation from opening its doors to development to becoming the world's second-largest economy.
"We are not only witnesses but also beneficiaries of China's reform and opening-up. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's high-quality development will continue to advance, and CP Group will embrace an increasing number of development opportunities," Xie said, noting that CP Group has become one of the multinational companies with the largest investment scale and broadest investment scope in China.
Why has CP Group remained committed to deepening its presence in China? "The answer lies in opportunities and stability," Xie said. The advantages of China's super-large market, coupled with its determination to steadily advance high-level opening-up, provide momentum for foreign enterprises. Meanwhile, the consistency and transparency of foreign investment policies instill long-term confidence. "We have always been optimistic about the Chinese market and are full of confidence in China's high-quality development," Xie said.
Viking Cruises: 'We have full confidence in the Chinese market'
Viking Cruises officially entered the Chinese market in 2016, and since then, Brendan Tansey, managing director of Viking Cruises China, has been engaging with China's senior citizens for a decade. "I've noticed that many Chinese senior citizens are embracing technology," Tansey said. The growing demand among China's elderly for high-quality travel experiences has opened up more growth opportunities for Viking Cruises, he noted.
Tansey is closely following discussions on the silver economy during this year's two sessions. "China's continued efforts to promote high-quality development of the silver economy are undoubtedly good news for Viking Cruises. Our goal is precisely to create high-quality travel products for China's senior citizens," Tansey said. "The government's policies encouraging foreign direct investment are also highly encouraging. We have full confidence in the Chinese market."
Tansey also spoke highly of China's series of expanded visa-free policies. He noted that the continued relaxation of these policies and the gradual improvement of related support measures have also encouraged more European and American tourists to visit China by cruise ship.
"Now it's a good time to invest in China," said Torstein Hagen, CEO of Viking Cruises. "Our decision to continue deepening our presence in the Chinese market is not only due to the immense opportunities in China's tourism market but also due to the stability of China's economic development, which gives us confidence," Tansey said.
Qualcomm: China 'one of the most important forces in global tech innovation'
This year's Government Work Report stated that China will promote faster application of new-generation intelligent terminals and AI agents and encourage large-scale commercial application of AI in key sectors and fields. Frank Meng, chairman of Qualcomm China, said the move not only demonstrates China's determination to advance technological innovation and industrial transformation, but is also highly aligned with global technological development trends. It will further promote the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation and create broader space for global technological cooperation, Meng noted.
In recent years, Qualcomm has worked with Chinese partners to promote the large-scale commercial application of innovative technologies worldwide. In Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, Qualcomm has established an innovation center equipped with leading laboratories and customer engineering teams to help Chinese partners expand into global markets. In 2025, Qualcomm joined hands with Chinese telecom operators, smartphone manufacturers and large-model developers to launch an initiative to accelerate AI applications.
"China possesses a world-leading market scale, strong innovation vitality and a complete industrial system, making it one of the most important forces in global technological innovation," Meng said. Qualcomm will continue to work with Chinese partners under its commitment to openness, cooperation and long-term development, deepening collaboration in fields such as 6G, artificial intelligence, embodied intelligence and intelligent terminals, and jointly exploring new paths for innovation.
This was compiled from an article originally published on the seventh page of the People's Daily on March 11, 2026. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202603/1356773.shtml
SOURCE Global Times
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