The rapid development of technological industrialization and artificial intelligence is opening up new opportunities for Chinese companies to go global, according to a report released on Saturday.
The report was released during the ongoing 9th China International Import Expo, which is underway in Shanghai until Nov 10.
Given Chinese companies' rising global competitiveness in areas of advanced manufacturing, green energy and digital technology, high-tech products have become a key engine of China's export growth, with their export value surging 39 percent year-on-year to 3.26 trillion yuan ($490 billion) in the first half of 2026.
With AI's deeper integration into industries on a larger scale, intelligent transformation in advanced manufacturing and technology is accelerating, promoting China's technology-intensive industries worldwide, according to the report.
Growing AI investment has driven up electricity demand. With the development of renewable energy, the rising need for greater flexibility in the power system and higher requirements for energy security, demand for energy storage, power equipment, and energy management technologies will rise accordingly.
China's new energy industry is thus expected to play a bigger role in overseas energy transition, the report said.
Experts from professional services provider Deloitte, Yicai Research Institute and media service provider Chin@Moment — the compilers of the report — discovered that the globalization of Chinese companies is also taking multiple forms.
Overseas mergers and acquisitions, greenfield investment, and local production have become mainstream paths for companies to get closer to target markets. New models, such as technology licensing and cooperation, are also emerging, they noted.
According to Lydia Chen, Deloitte China Research managing partner, the globalization of Chinese companies has moved beyond the phase of simply exporting products. Integrating into the local industrial ecosystem will define their success in overseas expansion, she said.
Lawrence Jin, chief growth officer for Deloitte China, said that outbound Chinese companies should strike a balance between long-term strategy and agile operation, compliance and commercial efficiency, and global management and local adaptation.
China's overseas direct investment hit a record high of $213.58 billion in 2025, accounting for 11.5 percent of the global total. Outbound investment stock reached $3.38 trillion, ranking among the world's top three for nine consecutive years. This marks an acceleration in Chinese companies' "going global" pace and their growing ability to build a global presence, according to the report.
