China giving MNCs strategic forte

Q2 China's economy has demonstrated strong resilience so far this year, supported by resilient exports, solid industrial production and continued strength in high-tech manufacturing. How would you assess China's overall economic performance so far this year? Looking ahead, what do you see as the key drivers supporting China's growth in the second half?

PRASANNAN: In the first quarter, China led global shipbuilding new orders by deadweight tonnage, with green vessels accounting for 80.2 percent of new contracts. This strength extends to the offshore sector, where we will supply eight compressor trains to support a new floating production storage and offloading vessels for Azule Energy by China's Yantai CIMC Raffles, contributing to their energy efficiency and operational reliability. Our Seaspan Yangtze methanol dual-fuel retrofit, delivered at Shanghai COSCO heavy industry in June, is our 30th global dual-fuel retrofit. Completed in just three months to cut the shipowner's downtime loss to a minimum, it reduces the vessel's EEXI index by 55 percent below the international baseline. For the second half, China's core economic growth drivers will come from full green industrial chain expansion and sustained new quality productive forces momentum.

CHENG: China's economy has shown strong resilience this year, but what stands out to us is the changing quality of that resilience. More Chinese companies are moving up the value chain, from traditional manufacturing and product exports to building global brands and expanding through technology and services. At the same time, emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, smart hardware, new energy, smart home and wearable technologies are gaining momentum in global markets. Looking ahead, I see three key growth drivers: deeper global expansion by Chinese SMEs and brands; continued industrial upgrading and technological innovation; and further digitalization of trade and business operations.

XIA: China's economy has shown solid resilience in a challenging global environment. What stands out to me is the continued strength of industrial production and high-tech manufacturing. The country's growth model is evolving, and that may bring short-term adjustments. For companies like Evonik, which focus on innovation and sustainability, given the complex external environment, structural opportunities remain clear. Looking at the second half, I would take a cautiously optimistic view. Industrial upgrading and innovation-led growth will remain important drivers. At the same time, we need to be mindful of uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and still-soft domestic consumption momentum, which may weigh on business confidence and market demand in the short term.

YIN: China's economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience this year, maintaining stable expansion while marching toward high-quality, innovation-driven growth. The policy blueprint laid out for the 15th Five-Year Plan has further bolstered AkzoNobel's confidence in China's long-term market prospects. Looking ahead, we believe two core pillars will underpin China's economic growth in the second half. The first is the new quality productive forces led by advanced manufacturing, green tech and digitalization. On this front, AkzoNobel has contributed advanced coating solutions to landmark projects such as the world's largest integrated hydrogen-ammoniamethanol project. The second lies in the potential of domestic consumption, fueled by increasing requirements for better livelihoods.