From March 22 to 23, the 2026 Annual Meeting of the China Development Forum was held in Beijing. At the forum, "opportunities" and "potential" became the key words used by executives of multinational companies to discuss the Chinese market. Based on their long-term confidence in China's economic development, many multinational companies have stated that they will further increase investment in China. In their view, during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China's new consumption trends, technological innovation and the development of emerging industries will bring huge space and opportunities.

“Consumption is the core engine of China’s economic growth. The ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ outline puts vigorously boosting consumption and expanding the supply of high-quality consumer goods and services in a prominent position. These are highly consistent with PepsiCo’s business priorities.” said Long Jiade, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. Currently, consumption patterns are evolving at an accelerated pace. Consumers are looking for products that adapt to fast-paced life, pay attention to health and well-being, and look forward to digital and convenient experiences. Based on this, PepsiCo will continue to build a rich matrix of health products in China.

China has vigorously boosted consumption, continuously improved consumption support policies, and cultivated new growth points for consumption, allowing many multinational companies to smell new business opportunities.

“Since 2020, Nestlé has invested more than 5 billion yuan in China, mainly in high-end categories with great development potential such as pet food and infant food.” Nestlé Group CEO Fei Nairui said. As one of the first multinational companies to invest in China, Nestlé has always been optimistic about the growth potential of China's economy and has full confidence in China's huge and dynamic consumer market.

Looking forward to a new wave of consumption growth, Fei Nairui said that whether it is in the field of functional nutrition, coffee or pet care, consumers will give priority to products with higher quality and more personalized value. Such consumption changes fully reflect consumers’ deep-seated needs for improving their quality of life. It has also created significant development opportunities for products based on scientific research and development, with high quality and able to adapt to the ever-escalating lifestyle needs.

China has the most complete manufacturing system and a vast application market in the world, and emerging industries are accelerating their development. China's innovation achievements will also benefit the world, opening the door to opportunities for multinational companies.

“The Chinese market shows great vitality, new technologies are quickly implemented and applied, and products are quickly introduced to the market. This is one of China’s distinctive development advantages. The ultra-large-scale market, engineering and technical talents, solid industrial foundation and openness to new technologies have all formed unique synergistic advantages in China.” said Stefan Hartung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bosch Group. For Bosch, China is far more than just an important market. Over the years, Bosch has invested and innovated in China, and formed close collaboration with local customers and partners.

This is particularly evident in the field of smart travel. "The Chinese automobile market is rapidly moving from electrification to intelligence, making China one of the most important automotive innovation hubs in the world. Today, about 70% of Bosch's smart travel business in China comes from the cooperation of local Chinese automobile companies, which fully reflects the important value of local innovation. Relying on solutions developed in China, Bosch has also won a number of international projects, and innovations originating from China have begun to serve the broader global automobile market." said Stefan Hartung.

"China is shifting from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. While emphasizing independent innovation, China also recognizes the importance of foreign investment and foreign technology in achieving ambitious goals. This is an invitation letter to foreign companies." said Boleren, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Siemens AG.

Boleren is particularly concerned that artificial intelligence has been mentioned many times in the "15th Five-Year Plan" outline. "Siemens is continuously enriching its product portfolio, including hardware, software and artificial intelligence solutions, which is also in line with China's vision of high-quality development. We are promoting the large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence in the industrial field and serving the world based on China." Boleren said.

“At BASF, the use of mobile robots to carry out autonomous inspections can achieve large-scale, high-quality data collection. Combining China’s leading robotics technology with BASF’s professional capabilities in chemical production and data integration, both parties have huge potential for win-win cooperation.” said Kaili, Chairman of the Executive Board of BASF Group.

Kaili said that factory smart assistants and mobile robots are extremely valuable application cases, and one of the benchmark projects is its new integrated base project in Zhanjiang, Guangdong. "This is BASF's heavy commitment of 8.7 billion euros to the Chinese market. BASF will carry out technology pilots in a single factory and quickly promote it on a large scale."

An open China will also continue to facilitate multinational companies' investment and business in China. Han Wenxiu, deputy director of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Commission in charge of daily work, said that in the face of the current changing international environment, China will unswervingly comprehensively deepen reforms and promote high-level opening up. On the basis of comprehensively lifting restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector, market access and open areas will also be expanded with a focus on the service industry. "The historical experience of more than 40 years of reform and opening up has fully demonstrated that China has a long-term stable and safe development environment and is the best safe haven for international capital." Han Wenxiu said. (Reporter Wang Zixu)