China is increasingly being viewed by multinational corporations as a strategic hub for innovation, green technology, and global growth, rather than a source of economic shock, according to top executives interviewed by China Daily ahead of the country's first-half 2026 economic data release.
Everllence: Green Innovation and Policy Certainty
Prasannan, a senior executive at Everllence, emphasized that China is a key market for green innovation and industrial-chain collaboration. Despite a delayed IMO Net-Zero Framework review, China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) provides rare policy certainty. Everllence has achieved milestones such as CMD's record-setting methanol engine and its 2,000th dual-fuel engine order with COSCO Shipping Lines.
Payoneer: China as a Source of Global Growth
Cheng from Payoneer noted that China is no longer just a market to enter, but increasingly a source of innovation and global growth. Chinese SMEs are moving beyond exporting to building businesses across multiple markets, creating new demand for global payments and services. Payoneer sees China as a strategic hub for product innovation and ecosystem building.
Evonik: Integrated Platform for Innovation
Xia of Evonik highlighted that China has become an integrated platform combining innovation, infrastructure, talent, and industrial ecosystems. In the first half of 2026, Evonik brought several key projects online in China, including a hydrogen peroxide plant in Leshan, expansion of specialty amine production in Nanjing, an AEM technology center for green hydrogen, and an Asia Beauty Science & Innovation Center in Shanghai.
AkzoNobel: Innovate in China, Share Globally
Yin from AkzoNobel described China as both a core innovation hub and a critical engine for global growth. The company's philosophy of "Innovate in China, for China, share globally" drives its expanding local R&D footprint, benefiting both domestic and international markets.
These perspectives collectively illustrate how China's vast market, policy direction, and digital capabilities are creating a "China Opportunity 2.0" that offsets the narrative of "China Shock 2.0."