MNCs plug into China's green synergy

Meanwhile, industrial behemoths like Siemens are rapidly expanding their footprint in the Chinese market with advanced solutions in smart electrical systems, green manufacturing, and systemic energy optimization.

Armed with a super-sized domestic market, a complete industrial chain, and endlessly diverse application scenarios, China has quietly transformed into the world's premier proving ground for green technology.

For Evonik, the German specialty chemicals company, this structural shift is highly tangible.

Xia views China as an incubator that forces companies to become faster, more innovative, and inherently more sustainable.

In the first half of 2026 alone, Evonik brought several milestone projects online in China, including a new hydrogen peroxide plant in Leshan, Sichuan province, an expanded specialty amine production facility in Nanjing, and its first AEM technology center dedicated to green hydrogen.

"These projects reflect not only our confidence in China's market potential, but also our belief that China will remain an important source of innovation and transformation for global businesses," Xia said.

This sentiment is echoed throughout the advanced materials sector.

Chen Pu, chief Asia officer of the Belgian specialty chemicals giant Syensqo, noted that the company views the "China opportunity" through highly practical lenses: the sheer size of the market, the velocity of industrial upgrading, and the depth of the local talent pool.

"Demand is shifting toward advanced, more sustainable, and higher-performance solutions," Chen said, highlighting Syensqo's four-decade presence in the country, which now includes five industrial sites and its third-largest global Research and Innovation center in Shanghai.

"We want to capture opportunities in fast-growing trends such as electrification, light-weighting, advanced connectivity, and more sustainable sourcing by innovating locally and working closely with customers."

As China places greater emphasis on expanding domestic demand while pursuing high-standard opening-up, multinational leaders see a mutually reinforcing dynamic.

A more sophisticated domestic market demands safer, greener, and more efficient solutions, while institutional opening-up delivers the predictability and transparency required for long-term capital deployment.

Yin from AkzoNobel China, believes this dynamic elevates the market beyond a mere sales destination.

"With a full spectrum of application scenarios, China's vast market serves as a natural testbed and incubator for technological innovation," Yin explained.

Operating under the guiding tenet of "Innovate in China, for China, share globally," the Dutch paints and coatings giant continues to expand its local R&D footprint. Yin noted that the policy blueprints laid out for the 15th Five-Year Plan have bolstered the company's long-term confidence.

"Our longstanding commitment to the Chinese market underscores a strategic evolution: transitioning from mere investors to dedicated innovation partners," Yin added.

She expects the second half of 2026 to be driven by "new quality productive forces" — advanced manufacturing, green tech, and digitalization — alongside a consumer base demanding premium, eco-friendly residential and commercial spaces.

This green transformation is equally profound in heavy industry and global logistics. For Everllence, a leader in maritime and energy solutions, China is the absolute nexus for green innovation and the global delivery of net-zero solutions.

"In the first quarter of 2026, China led global shipbuilding new orders by dead-weight tonnage, with green vessels accounting for 80.2 percent of new contracts," said Sarath Prasannan, senior vice-president and head of Asia-Pacific region of Everllence.