More than 4,000 overseas enterprises are showcasing their latest technologies and products at this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, as the event continues to serve as a crucial link for global businesses to deepen their presence in the Chinese market.
Global tech giant AMD is focusing on key areas such as cloud computing power and AI agent hosts, helping to drive the latest AI technologies from technical demonstrations to large-scale applications.
"We have always considered China a very important market for AMD globally, and a key component of the global innovation ecosystem," said Pan Xiaoming, senior vice president of AMD and president of AMD Greater China.
"Our confidence comes from the continuous innovative vitality in China, its complete industrial ecosystem, and the wide range of adaptation scenarios," Pan added.
This year's CIIE features a record high of over 480 representative exhibits that are making their global, Asian or China debuts.
At Qualcomm's exhibition booth, a 6G terminal prototype is making its first public physical appearance at a major global exhibition, stepping out of the laboratory for the first time.
"As we look forward to the arrival of 6G and the AI era, our circle of friends is getting bigger," said Frank Meng, chairman of Qualcomm China.
"Qualcomm and our partners in China's mobile communications industry are in an organic community. I believe that for a very long period to come, we will continue to achieve win-win cooperation globally based on this foundation," Meng said.
Global firms double down on China, eying new opportunities at CIIE
The opportunities China offers go beyond its vast consumer market, as they also come from areas such as industrial upgrading, the real-world application of innovation and green development, said overseas exhibitors at the ongoing 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE).
The CIIE, running from Nov 5 to 10 in Shanghai, has attracted 4,142 overseas exhibitors across more than 440,000 square meters, with over 480 exhibits making their global, Asian or China debut, the highest number in the event's history.
The expo offers a window into China's market opportunities. As the country moves beyond traditional economic strengths and focuses on higher-quality exports, international companies are exploring new ways to adapt to an evolving business landscape.
In interviews with China Media Group (CMG), executives from multinational companies hailed China's innovative capabilities, which also benefit their operations.
"[We are moving from] bringing innovation to China, for instance, to now taking innovation or bringing innovation from China to the world. We opened, as you said, in 2026, our R and D center in Shanghai. But we also continue investing in manufacturing. We have been investing in a groundbreaking, major plant in Beijing," said Jean-Christophe Badri, CFO of Sanofi Greater China, a French pharmaceutical and healthcare company.
"So as an example, when we bring new innovations here, three years ago, we debuted here at the CIIE a product called Wavelight Plus, an advanced refractive laser solution. And in those three years, we've been able to get over 200 systems across various hospitals in China," said Rick Kozloski, President of Alcon China, a Swiss-American pharmaceutical and medical device company.
China's opportunities also reshape partnerships, shifting cooperation from trade and manufacturing toward creating value and advancing innovation alongside Chinese partners.
"We are innovating together with Chinese customers for China market. One good example is for data center. We have utilized our state of the art, magnetic bearing compressor technology. But together with our Chinese customer, we combine that with free cooling," said Xu Yang, President of Danfoss China, a Danish technological company.
Companies are also becoming more closely integrated into China's industrial chains, with many expanding local production to better serve the domestic market, said the executives.
"Our shoes, only 50 percent were made in Shandong, China, but another 50 percent coming from Indonesia, Vietnam. But I really want to make it in China for China, which means 100 percent sales in China should be made in China. That's all I want to change in a couple of years," said Koji Hayashi, Chairman of ASICS China, a Japanese sportswear company.
Global firms look beyond China's consumer market to tech, green drive at 9th CIIE
