(Focusing on Boao) Roland Berger Xu Jigang: China is a must-choice market for multinational companies

How does the overall evolution of China’s industrial chain attract multinational enterprises to invest?

Beijing, March 26 (Xinhua) - The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 is being held in Boao, Hainan. Xu Siyue, from Zhongxin She, and Xu Jigang, senior partner and head of the industrial platform for Asia at Roland Berger, stated in an interview with Zhongxin She that China is a must-choice for multinational enterprises in their future, akin to a “second home.”

He believes that multinational companies should not waver at the strategic level; from a business management perspective, prioritizing the development of the Chinese market is essential for maintaining competitiveness. He observed that many multinational companies are establishing research and development institutions in China to form a relatively complete industrial chain.

China’s economy is continuously developing and changing. Xu Jigang believes that its characteristic is the overall evolution of the industrial chain, rather than individual industries “going it alone.” This capability for enhancing the entire value chain is highly attractive to multinational enterprises. Because companies within the chain also possess the potential for transformation. Taking mobile payment, a tool that connects multiple industries, as an example, the speed at which the Chinese market adapts to new payment scenarios and technologies far exceeds that of other places, with few forces hindering innovation and iteration.

Xu Jigang believes that China’s attractiveness to multinational enterprises is also reflected in its relatively young and active consumer base, whose demands drive companies to explore, allowing multinationals to find innovative methods in China. The feedback from this large-scale market also has the feasibility of being replicated in other markets.

“Enterprise development must adapt to China’s growth; business managers need to rethink how to engage in the Chinese market.” Xu Jigang said that enterprises need to better understand the requirements posed by the Chinese environment, view their subsidiaries in China as independently operating businesses, and build a local complete ecosystem to participate in market competition in China, rather than solely relying on existing brands or headquarters support. (End)