As the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) continues in Shanghai, executives from Baker Hughes, Volkswagen, and Bayer told China Media Group that the expo serves as a key platform to deepen local cooperation, advance research and development, and turn "Made in China" into "Innovating for the World."
For energy technology giant Baker Hughes, the CIIE showcases how local innovation is fueling global expansion. The company presented industrial technologies developed and manufactured in China, many of which are now exported worldwide.
"What we have here is a digital platform that enables us to monitor the equipment that's in place. And we are going to localize here in China, creating the hardware, as well as then working with the local companies on the software and the applications. And we've also got more products that are being localized, 100 percent made in China and also being taken from China to other locations," said Lorenzo Simonelli, chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes. Baker Hughes' involvement in major Chinese projects has driven strong business growth. The company's procurement from China has doubled in the past three years. "It goes into hundreds of millions of dollars that we actually source from China. We think about a global footprint and we have projects in many different countries, so China is providing us the capability to serve those projects," said Simonelli.
Automakers are also deepening their local innovation capacity. Robert Cisek, CEO of Volkswagen Brand China, said the company has evolved from manufacturing localization to full-scale research and development in China to keep pace with one of the world's fastest-changing markets.
"We've been localized from the beginning. At the beginning, [we were] more focused on manufacturing, but in the last years also very much when it comes to R and D to really make sure that we can deliver in a timely manner to the fast-paced customer preferences and their changes. We reinvented ourselves here in China with our R and D setup, the VCTC -- the Volkswagen China Technology Center -- in Anhui, with now even more than 3,000 engineers," said Cisek.
Cisek noted that China's young, tech-savvy consumers -- with an average age of 35 -- are driving rapid innovation across the auto industry.
"Starting next year, we are going to launch the biggest NEV offensive in our history, launching 21 NEV models by 2027, 31 models by 2029. We combine the innovation speed of the Chinese ecosystem together with the German engineering standards to make sure that when we offer new technology that is also safe, reliable and easy to use," he said.
The pharmaceutical industry is also tapping the CIIE's potential as a bridge for innovation and partnerships. Thomas Jacxsens, vice president of Bayer Healthcare, said the expo continues to be a vital platform for collaboration and new product launches.
"First and foremost, it is indeed a good platform to showcase some of the innovations that we are working on, especially when we are about to launch them on the Chinese market," said Jacxsens.
"Over the past eight editions, we have signed around 40 major agreements here with research partners, with academics, with commercial partners. We have also launched around 50 products from CIIE. So an important platform indeed. And in my view, it's a vibrant forum if you want to get sort of a summary of what is happening in China. And it's a good opportunity also to meet here with business partners and get some refresh ideas on the next step in innovation," he said.
This year's CIIE, opening on Wednesday and running until November 10, features the largest exhibition space in its history and brings together a record 4,108 enterprises from 138 countries and regions across the world.
CEOs of innovative global companies highlight localization investments at CIIE
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
