Pearl River International Trade Forum Explores New Global Expansion Models for Chinese Firms

According to China News Service, the 2026 Pearl River International Trade Forum took place on October 16 at the Canton Fair Hall in Guangzhou to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Canton Fair. The forum focused on topics including new overseas expansion paths for Chinese enterprises amid changes in global trade, integrated trade and investment practices, and the international coordination of overseas industrial parks. University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences professor Jiang Xiaojuan stated that the artificial intelligence era is giving rise to native globalization, where technologies, products, and services are targeted directly at international markets from their inception rather than following traditional sequential expansion paths. Ernst and Young South China managing partner Huang Yin observed that Chinese firms are transitioning from exporting merchandise to exporting comprehensive capabilities, encompassing research and development, supply chain structures, and operational management within a networked operating system.

In an example of deep localized operations, Zhuhai Gree Electric vice president and chief marketing officer Zhu Lei stated that local staff constitute 98% of the workforce at the company's manufacturing facility in Brazil, helping the brand integrate deeply into the local community.