At the ongoing third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, representatives from global companies highlighted China's critical importance to global supply chains as well as the country's long-term market potential.
With the theme "Connecting the World for a Shared Future," the five-day expo, hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, drawing 651 companies and institutions from 75 countries and regions. Foreign exhibitors make up roughly 35 percent of participants, underscoring the event's growing international influence.
As one of the world's largest platforms for industrial and supply chain cooperation, this year's CISCE has become a window into global confidence in China's supply chain resilience and its future role in the global economy.
"China holds an irreplaceable position in the global supply chain. Its supply chain is not only vast in scale, but has also become an indispensable force, known for its exceptional efficiency, outstanding coordination, strong resilience, and continuous innovation," said Zhang Qingxiu, corporate communication manager at TCP China.
"What we expect is to have the Chinese market and the Chinese customer continue to grow their technical capability, so that there's always room for Japanese companies like us to support them with our technology. So I hope that the Chinese customer market will continue to be that way," said Takeo Keizo, managing director of Sumitomo Electric Trading (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
Global exhibitors recognize China as 'indispensable force' in supply chain ecosystem
China closed 2025 with a record of 92 space launches and major breakthroughs were made in manned space launches, deep space exploration and commercial launches, according to the China National Space Administration.
"In 2025, we created a new launch record, sending more than 300 satellites into planned orbits. Both the number of launches and the number of payloads placed in orbit have achieved qualitative leapfrog development," said Zhu Haiyang, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
In 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest single mission duration in the history of China's manned space program. Following the Shenzhou-20, the Shenzhou-21 achieved the fastest rendezvous and docking in the history of the Shenzhou mission in just three hours and a half.
Facing an unexpected technical situation with the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, China immediately activated emergency plans. Within 16 days, a series of maneuvers were accomplished including the launch of the Shenzhou-22 backup vehicle, presenting a "textbook model" for the international space community in effectively responding to unexpected emergencies.
In deep space exploration, the Tianwen-2 probe embarked on its journey for China's first asteroid exploration and sample-return mission in 2025.
Last year also saw intensive launch activities from multiple commercial rocket types, injecting strong momentum into the country's commercial space development.
As China has kicked off the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), a new blueprint for the country's space program is unfolding. Multiple tests are planned in preparation for future lunar exploration, as Chang'e-7 lunar probe is scheduled to be launched for the lunar south pole to search for evidence of water ice. The industry is also preparing for the maiden flights of several new rocket types, which will include the challenges to test rocket recovery and reusability technologies.
China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches
China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches
