At the “CEO: Grow with China” roundtable held in Tianjin, business executives and economists outlined a fundamental shift in how multinational corporations engage with the world's second-largest economy. Rather than viewing the country solely as a massive consumer marketplace, global enterprises are increasingly positioning it as a primary source of global innovation. This transition is driven by a concerted focus on nurturing new quality productive forces, advancing regional integration, and fostering high-standard market openness.

The roundtable, jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, China Daily, and the Tianjin Haihe Media Center, highlighted how international collaboration is fueling industrial transformation, particularly within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

The Transition from Marketplace to Global Innovation Engine

For decades, multinational corporations operated under a traditional model of importing technology to serve the domestic market. Today, that dynamic is undergoing a profound evolution toward “co-innovation.” Business leaders at the roundtable emphasized that the country's competitive advantage has expanded beyond sheer market scale to encompass an unparalleled capacity for rapid industrial application.

Gianni Di Giovanni, chairman of energy company Eni China, noted that the greatest opportunity for international business lies in this extraordinary capacity to transform scientific innovation into practical industrial applications. The seamless connection between research, engineering, manufacturing, and market demand provides a fundamental competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

This sentiment was echoed by Gou Jianhui, chairman and CEO of Flender China, who described the current landscape as a “two-way collaboration” where companies “innovate in China, empower the world.” Rather than a one-way flow of technology, multinational firms are leveraging local ecosystems to develop solutions that are subsequently deployed globally.

Regional Integration and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Vision

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, a major economic engine in northern China, is serving as a primary testing ground for this innovation-led growth. Following directives from the Central Economic Work Conference held in December, there is an active push to develop an international technological innovation center within the region, with the explicit goal of becoming a world-class innovation engine by 2030.

Tianjin is playing an active role in building this regional innovation center, according to Xu Gang, executive deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee. The integration of the region is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial execution.

Zhao Zhongxiu, a professor and former president of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, explained that competition in modern innovation is increasingly defined by the capacity to bring scientific discoveries into productive use. Zhao noted that closer integration between scientific research and industrial innovation will create critical opportunities during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, allowing enterprises to align their R&D pipelines directly with advanced manufacturing capabilities.

Corporate Strategies: Co-Innovation and Local Value Chains

The practical execution of this strategy is visible in the recent moves of major global corporations. Claus Zieler, chief commercial and medical affairs officer at Astellas, shared that the global drugmaker inaugurated its first innovation R&D center in China on Wednesday. This milestone completes a comprehensive local value chain for the company, spanning:

  • Research and development
  • Manufacturing
  • Sales
  • Trade

Zieler observed that over the past few years, the country has successfully transitioned from the “world's marketplace” into a “global source of innovation.” By establishing end-to-end operations locally, multinational firms can react faster to market demands and co-develop products with local partners.

Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co, pointed out that companies can systematically turn the country's wealth of application scenarios and robust supply chain capabilities into distinct competitive advantages. This enables a shift from technology import to genuine co-innovation, benefiting global markets.

High-Tech Investment and Policy Support

The strategic pivot toward high-tech sectors is supported by recent macroeconomic data. According to the Ministry of Commerce, foreign investment inflows into high-tech industries rose 33.8 percent year-on-year in the first nine months, accounting for 41.6 percent of the national total. These figures reflect sustained investor confidence in the country's high-tech manufacturing and services sectors, even amidst broader global economic uncertainties and rising protectionism.

This investment is further supported by localized commitments to research and development. Ma Bo, president of Tianjin Haihe Media Center, highlighted the host city's specific achievements, noting that Tianjin has become the largest open coastal city in northern China. The city's R&D spending has reached 3.47 percent of GDP, representing the fifth-highest level nationwide.

Optimizing the Business Environment for Global Partners

To sustain this momentum, business leaders emphasized the necessity of an open, stable, and predictable business environment. Simon Lacey, founder of Market Access X, observed that the country is moving in a genuinely positive direction in advancing high-standard opening-up, which helps mitigate geopolitical risks.

Andries De Bock, general manager of Leybold Equipment (Tianjin) Co, confirmed that a sound business environment is highly critical for manufacturers, describing his company's operational experience in Tianjin as highly positive.

As the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region advances toward its 2030 targets, local authorities continue to encourage international participation. Xu Gang reiterated this open invitation, welcoming entrepreneurs from both China and abroad to invest, innovate, and pursue long-term growth opportunities across the integrated region.