MNCs bullish on China's consumption drive
Q2 In 2025, China's exports rose 6.1 percent, newly established foreign-invested enterprises increased by 19.1 percent, and research and development intensity reached 2.8 percent of GDP. Against the backdrop of global supply chain reconfiguration, is China's role in your global strategy expanding? How do you evaluate China's integrated advantages — manufacturing depth, innovation capacity, infrastructure and market scale — in supporting your production networks and supply resilience? Does China function primarily as a market, a production base, an innovation hub, or increasingly all three within your corporate architecture?
Jiang: China has always been one of Zespri's key markets. China has made significant strides in opening its market and attracting international trade and investment, making it one of Zespri's most important strategic markets globally. China has given Zespri the confidence and determination to strengthen its commitment to the Chinese market. Zespri plans to expand its sales footprint in China from 60 to 120 cities and aims to double both sales volume and revenue in 2034/35. The 10-year period has been chosen as it coincides with the New Zealand government's objective to double the value of New Zealand's total exports starting from its first year in office.
Depoux: For multinational companies, China remains pivotal. It is not only a big market, but also increasingly a source of innovation and competitiveness. It is an opportunity for MNCs to strengthen global competitiveness and turn the China challenge into a strategic advantage across global operations. As the world fractures into competing blocs, MNCs need to be on both sides, and China can be a bridge to integrate with Asia and the Global South. We believe that as management consultants, Roland Berger has an important role to play in China's economic transformation pursuing high-quality development. We will further adapt, localize and develop our offerings in China — blending our global expertise with China's agile innovation.
Zhang: Our footprint in China — comprising 10 advanced factories, two R&D centers and a distribution network of 598 sales routes — reflects our utilization of China's sophisticated manufacturing depth and infrastructure. In 2024, Bimbo China and its Beijing Mankattan Food Technology Co Ltd were officially confirmed as "regional headquarters of multinational corporations", underscoring our commitment to building a robust local supply chain. We firmly believe in the immense potential of the Chinese mainland market with the commitment to "nourishing a better world" within the Chinese landscape. Since entering the Chinese mainland market in 2006, Grupo Bimbo has consistently adhered to a long-term development strategy and established a comprehensive industrial ecosystem in China, operating 10 advanced plants and two R&D centers located in Beijing and Shanghai.
Cheng: 2026 marks a pivotal year for comprehensively deepening reforms. After participating in, witnessing and benefitting from China's opening-up journey for over 30 years, DBS firmly believes in the broad prospects of China's long-term development strategy and positions the Chinese market as a strategically significant key market. The establishment of DBS Securities in 2021, the increase of our shareholding to 91 percent in 2024, and becoming a direct overseas participant of the Cross-border Interbank Payment System and an authorized Singapore's RMB clearing bank in 2025, are empirical evidence of DBS's increased investment in China, and demonstrate our firm confidence in China's financial opening-up policies.






















