China giving MNCs strategic forte
Multinational executives share how China is evolving into an innovation hub and growth engine, countering the 'China Shock 2.0' narrative.
Ahead of the release of China's first-half 2026 economic data, China Daily invited chief executives and senior leaders from key multinational companies to share their perspectives on the world's second-largest economy. Their insights go beyond short-term growth, offering a closer look at the evolving "China Opportunity 2.0" narrative amid ongoing debate over the so-called "China Shock 2.0".
Everllence (Prasannan): China is a key market for green innovation, industrial-chain collaboration, and global delivery of net-zero solutions. Despite delays in IMO Net-Zero Framework reviews, China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) offers rare policy certainty. Milestones include CMD's record-setting methanol engine and the 2,000th dual-fuel engine order with COSCO Shipping Lines.
Payoneer (Cheng): The most visible change is that China is no longer simply a market to enter—it is becoming a source of innovation and global growth. With millions of active cross-border sellers, Chinese SMEs are building businesses across multiple markets, creating demand for global payments, compliance, and technology services.
Evonik (Xia): China has become an integrated platform where innovation, infrastructure, talent, and industrial ecosystems converge. Recent projects include a new hydrogen peroxide plant in Leshan, specialty amine expansion in Nanjing, the first AEM technology center for green hydrogen, and the Asia Beauty Science & Innovation Center in Shanghai.
AkzoNobel (Yin): With a full spectrum of application scenarios, China's vast market serves as a natural testbed and incubator for technological innovation. AkzoNobel upholds "Innovate in China, for China, share globally," expanding local R&D to address domestic needs while benefiting global businesses.