A reporter from the Global Times interviewed the 2026 Annual Conference of the China Development Forum, listening to global CEOs discuss "new opportunities for China's development"

Ask AI · Why are global CEOs optimistic about the Chinese market in the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan?

【Global Times Report by Ding Yazhi, Yang Shasha, Tao Yangming, Chen Qingqing, He Shan, Li Guozheng】On March 22-23, the China Development High-Level Forum 2026 Annual Conference was held in Beijing. This year marks the beginning of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. At this critical juncture, where history connects the past and future, leaders of multinational corporations gathered once again to discuss opportunities in the Chinese market, industrial cooperation, and innovative development. Against the backdrop of a challenging global economic recovery and complex geopolitical landscape, many foreign executives expressed their commitment to deepening their presence in China, leveraging China’s industrial advantages, policy environment, and innovation vitality to achieve mutual benefits for themselves and the Chinese market.

“Opportunities are right here and now”

“We have over 70,000 employees worldwide, with more than 8,000 in China, making China the second-largest after Germany and the US, ranking third globally. This fully demonstrates the strategic importance of the Chinese market,” said Meng Tianqi, CEO of Siemens Healthineers globally, in an interview with the Global Times. “Opportunities are right here and now.” He believes that China has made remarkable achievements in building an efficient healthcare system and increasing average life expectancy, which is impressive. In the future, the importance of Chinese R&D teams will further increase.

“China is an important engine of global economic growth, with a vast market, a large and rapidly growing economy. China’s outstanding competitive advantages and broad development prospects strengthen Schneider Electric’s confidence in deepening its roots in China, making China a key part of our global strategy,” said Zhao Guohua, Chairman of Schneider Electric, directly to the Global Times. Over the past 20 years, the company has adhered to a “China-centered” strategy, based on talent and driven by innovation, building an agile integrated system of R&D, production, and sales, continuously launching advanced automation, electrification, and digital integration products and solutions, and accelerating the large-scale industrial application of AI technology.

As a representative of Southeast Asian enterprises attending the forum, Tiansi Group is actively promoting regional economic integration and consumer synergy through pragmatic actions. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Tiansi Group invested a total of 4.36 billion yuan in China. CEO Xu Xinxiong expressed his hope that China will further deepen institutional opening-up, facilitate efficient connection of global high-quality resources with China’s enormous market, and expand consumer growth through open collaboration.

Foreign-invested enterprises in China keenly capture policy signals

Policy stability and predictability are key factors attracting foreign companies to continue investing in China. Patuo Dey, Co-President of Roland Berger Global Management Committee, said, “In the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, a series of targeted policies to boost consumption have been precisely implemented, accelerating the vitality of China’s large market.” The domestic service sectors such as healthcare, digital services, and education are highly open to foreign investment, becoming new hotspots for foreign enterprises. He emphasized that under the current geopolitical environment, China and Europe need to build new cooperation models to achieve balanced two-way investment.

Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan, participating in the China Development High-Level Forum for the eighth time, stated that China’s commitment to high-level opening-up and the continuous creation of a friendly innovation ecosystem and a safe, stable market environment have steadily increased the stability and predictability of investments in China, further strengthening companies’ confidence in long-term cooperation.

Boehringer Ingelheim CEO Bolognese believed that China’s 14th Five-Year Plan is highly visionary. The “AI+” initiative will trigger profound industrial transformation. Boehringer Ingelheim is willing to integrate into China’s local production system to help upgrade Chinese industry towards digitalization and intelligence.

In the consumer sector, Sheng Depu, Chief Growth Officer and President of International Business at Tapestry Group, told the Global Times that China’s policies to boost consumption align with the company’s strategic focus. “We see that young consumers are becoming more rational and cautious in their spending. However, brands that resonate with them and establish emotional connections can still perform well. We have achieved strong growth in China and see vast potential for further investment.”

“Everywhere, you can feel the vitality and openness of the Chinese market”

In the field of innovation and cooperation, multinational companies are accelerating their investment layout in China. Konrad Kern, Chairman of the Board of Mercedes-Benz Group, told the Global Times that China’s vibrant innovation ecosystem is the most attractive element for companies. Mercedes-Benz is currently investing heavily in new product R&D, deepening cooperation with major Chinese tech companies and startups, focusing on innovation in China, and bringing Chinese innovative achievements to the global stage.

Volkswagen Group Management Board Chairman Oliver Blume said, “In areas such as electric mobility, digitalization, and smart mobility solutions, our cooperation with Chinese partners has strengthened our innovation capabilities both in China and globally. Today, Volkswagen remains the most powerful foreign automaker in China, and we hope to continue consolidating this position in the future.”

German chemical giant BASF also has high expectations for China’s growth potential. Its Executive Board Chairman, Martin Brudermüller, told the Global Times that China is one of the world’s largest chemical markets and a core growth pole for BASF’s medium- and long-term development. Investing in China and growing together with Chinese clients remains an unchanging strategy for the company. “I travel to China frequently, from policy communication in Beijing, to operations bases in Nanjing and Shanghai, to future layouts in Guangdong. Everywhere, I can feel the vitality and openness of the Chinese market.”

Brudermüller revealed that he plans to visit China at least twice this year to support the continuous profitability growth of his team in China. He is particularly attentive to the explosive growth of emerging industries in China, such as AI, robotics, semiconductors, and low-altitude economy, which present broad cooperation opportunities. The company has already established a comprehensive cooperation ecosystem with Chinese universities, startups, and industrial leaders, deeply integrating into China’s innovation system.

It is worth noting that while foreign executives focus on investment opportunities in China, they are increasingly recognizing China’s soft power development. Dey told reporters that Chinese products like Labubu, which are popular overseas, exemplify China’s soft power. Behind this are significant economic implications. “Data shows that overseas young generations genuinely find Chinese products very cool—ranging from high-tech gadgets like drones and electric vehicles to culturally rich products.”