Manufacturing edge a win-win multiplier abroad

Driven by high-level opening-up, Chinese smart manufacturing enterprises are accelerating their global expansion, transforming advanced production capabilities into shared development opportunities for worldwide partners.

This global push is underpinned by robust domestic growth. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's equipment and high-tech manufacturing sectors performed strongly in the first half of the year. The output of 3D printing equipment, lithium-ion batteries and industrial robots surged by 48.5 percent, 39.3 percent and 28.0 percent year-on-year, respectively.

In Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Estun Automation Co exemplifies this trend. Inside its workshops, multiple intelligent assembly lines operate in an orderly manner, showcasing a futuristic scene of "robots making robots".

Batches of industrial robots stand ready for shipment, vividly illustrating the overseas expansion of China's smart manufacturing. The company currently operates seven manufacturing bases globally, forming a comprehensive capacity and service system that covers major industrial regions across Europe and Asia.

Wang Qiong, deputy head of the strategy and marketing department at Estun, said that after becoming the first domestic industrial robot company to achieve a dual listing on both the A-share and H-share markets this March, the raised funds will be used to expand global capacity, pursue strategic acquisitions and boost research and development.

By 2025, Estun had over 3,300 global employees and an installed base of more than 150,000 industrial robots, successfully expanding its development space through a model of "local roots, global reach".

Beyond robotics, China's smart grid technologies are also energizing global development. Nari Group Corp, a direct research and industrial unit under the State Grid Corp of China and a leading smart grid enterprise in Nanjing, has established 23 overseas branches in 21 countries.

Its products and services cover more than 140 countries and regions worldwide. In the first half of 2026, its international business contracts achieved double-digit growth, maintaining a high-speed expansion trajectory.

In May, a key power digitalization project built by Nari — the PLUZ AMI smart meter project in Peru — officially went into operation. In Brazil, the company participated in the Belo Monte Phase II project, upgrading the country's direct current transmission from 600 kilovolts to 800 kV. This project now delivers electricity to load centers like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, meeting the needs of over 22 million people and creating an efficient, safe, and green "power highway" for Brazil.

Similarly, TBEA Hengyang Transformer Co in Hunan province has firmly focused on its core transformer business while making internationalization its primary strategy for transformational development. Actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, the company's products and engineering services now reach more than 70 countries and regions.

In the automotive sector, Great Wall Motor Co's Chongqing branch is bustling with the orderly production of models like Tank, GWM Poer and Haval, including new energy vehicles. The automaker has established over 1,400 overseas sales channels across more than 170 countries, with cumulative overseas sales exceeding 2 million units.

Wang Bingjiang, Party secretary of the GWM Chongqing branch, said the GWM Poer pickup alone has surpassed 700,000 units in global sales. He added that the company is accelerating its shift toward all-scenario smart NEVs to further expand its global market share.

Wang added that for these enterprises, continuous cultivation of the global market brings new growth points. He noted that the global narrative of "China's smart manufacturing" is never a solo voyage, but a collaborative chorus with global partners. By deepening their global footprint, they are growing together in mutually beneficial and symbiotic cooperation, ultimately adding value to the world.