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
