Sustainable solutions to drive growth

Editor's Note: This year marks a critical milestone as China concludes its 14th Five-Year Plan. To help in assessing the success of the process, we have asked multinational executives to share with our readers their insights about their business achievements in the past few years and further expectations in the years to come.

Q1 What's your view on this year's two sessions? Do you expect any specific policy measures for further deepening reforms and expanding high-standard opening-up? What more should China do to create a more enabling business environment for foreign investors?

YIN: We are confident in the continued development of the Chinese market, which continues to be one of AkzoNobel's most important strategic markets thanks to the country's reform and opening-up policies. We have witnessed significant opportunities emerging from China's economic development and we are excited about the prospects it holds for our business. We are working closely with some of China's top companies, which we believe will further strengthen our presence in the Chinese market and drive our business growth. We are optimistic that China's ongoing reforms will continue to create a more enabling business environment for foreign investors. This will not only benefit AkzoNobel, but also contribute to the overall development of the paints and coatings industry in China.

ZHOU: We are delighted to see the Chinese government's commitment and efforts in improving the business environment, including the continuous introduction of policies that support multinational and foreign investors, as well as the strengthening of intellectual property protections. We have forged a decade-long commitment to the Chinese mainland market through our innovative, science-backed solutions tailored to Chinese consumers' evolving needs. Our growth in China is deeply intertwined with the nation's development priorities. China's 2025 economic roadmap, prioritizing domestic consumption growth, innovation-driven modernization and institutional openness, presents expansive opportunities for dsm-firmenich in the nutrition, health and beauty sectors. These strategic priorities align with evolving consumer demands and supportive policies, positioning us to capitalize on long-term growth and innovation in these high-potential markets.

CHEN: Syensqo's history of operating in the Chinese mainland dates back more than 40 years. The company has benefited from the opening-up policies and economic growth of the country. With China remaining a growth engine of the world economy in 2025, we expect the two sessions will solidify the commitment to high-level opening-up of the country, endorse sustainable growth and intellectual property protection in order to create a more enabling business environment for foreign companies and foster deepening reforms of the country. We look forward to contributing to the development of China through local partnerships, collaborative innovations and more sustainable development.

SHEN: We highly commend the Chinese government's efforts in optimizing the business environment, particularly regarding transparency, intellectual property protections and fair competition. These initiatives have significantly bolstered confidence among foreign enterprises, providing Marelli and similar companies with a stable and predictable operating environment in China. Throughout our extensive operations in China, Marelli has consistently benefited from strong support from local governments, greatly facilitating our business growth. Specifically, we hope for streamlined regulatory processes, enhanced intellectual property protections and the introduction of additional incentives to encourage innovation in ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices and sustainable manufacturing. We wish to see enhanced policy support in the field of automotive intelligence technology, which will drive deep collaboration among industrial ecosystems.