Illustration: Tang Tengfei/GT

The New York Times recently published an article claiming that many American companies, including Apple, have "effectively given away swaths of their practical know-how, machinery, processes and talent to China," thereby providing China with the resources it needed and helping China "attain dominance in fields as disparate as rare-earth magnets, solar wafers, steel, and pharmaceuticals." Is China's tech progress something "given away" by major foreign corporations? This claim is plainly absurd and arrogant, behind which lie the frustration and stubbornness of those stuck in a Western-centric worldview.

First, we need to clarify the fundamental reasons why major multinational corporations chose to expand their markets in China. There is no doubt that the fundamental driving force behind multinational corporations' investment and operations is the pursuit of maximizing profits and safety margins. When entering developing economies, they trade capital, technology and managerial know-how for access to huge markets, cost-efficient supply chains and lucrative gains. This also applies to their presence in China. They came here for profit, rather than fitting the so-called "benefactor narrative" peddled by some Western journalists.

It's true that foreign investment helped China acquire early-stage technologies and management expertise. At its core, however, this is a mutually rewarding relationship. Through the restructuring of industrial and supply chains, China has built up competitive strengths in numerous sectors, including many cutting-edge strategic industries hotly contested across the globe. It is simply ridiculous to claim that Western companies have "given these advantages away."

Second, the fundamental logic behind any thriving economy lies in sound interactions between its internal system and the outside world, with internal factors playing the leading role. Contrary to what The New York Times claims, China's technological progress isn't a result of foreign companies "giving away" their advantages. Instead, it has been forged through self-reliance and comprehensively independent innovation - even in the face of stringent tech export controls and entity list sanctions imposed by certain nations. China's leading position in sectors such as rare-earth magnets, solar wafers, steel, and pharmaceuticals stems is primarily the result of long-term strategic investment, combined with continuous R&D, technological iteration, and large-scale manufacturing to reduce costs and build global competitiveness - reflecting a typical catch-up pattern for late-developing countries.

Over the past four decades of reform and opening-up, China has scored historic achievements in economic development. Major multinationals have been active participants, and their contributions are widely recognized. Even so, this alone does not fully explain why many multinationals have fared far better in China than elsewhere, and even outperformed their operations back home. The answer clearly lies in the favorable business environment China has created for enterprises: a high-quality talent pool, a massive and efficient manufacturing ecosystem, rapidly improving infrastructure and logistics supply chains, a vast and continuously growing consumer market, and the powerful policy dividends unleashed by reform and opening-up ... It is China's unique scale advantages, coupled with its vast, stable and inclusive business environment, that have created unreplicable success for countless foreign enterprises operating here.

A compelling example is the "China+1" narrative that gained popularity a couple of years ago when some foreign companies attempted to shift their supply chains out of China. However, with shifts in the global trade landscape and the improvement of China's domestic production efficiency, an increasing number of foreign companies are now bringing their supply chains back to China. This shows that China's institutional strengths, abundant resources and vast market are key to multinational companies' success. The same factors also empower domestic enterprises to achieve technological breakthroughs and secure a solid foothold in global industrial and supply chains.

In fact, nearly all foreign enterprises that have succeeded in China share a relationship of mutual dependence and mutual success with the country. Apple has been deeply rooted in China for over 30 years. It has created millions of local jobs and spurred innovation across upstream industries. For Apple, China is not only a major consumer market; its highly efficient, large-scale supply chains underpin the company's global product sales. AstraZeneca's innovative drugs have benefited Chinese patients. In turn, the country's rich clinical resources and outstanding scientific talent have accelerated the progress of its global drug pipeline. Volkswagen's partnership with China has evolved from securing robust sales and market share in the early days to jointly developing new energy vehicles with local partners - fully embodying the philosophy of "In China, for China."

Today, China is also giving back to foreign enterprises and contributing to the world through its "own technological leap." In recent years, numerous foreign firms have expanded their footprint in China. They come not just for the vast domestic market, but also to leverage China's efficient supply chains, vibrant innovation ecosystem and pool of engineering talent. Through joint efforts, both sides keep upgrading technologies and achieve mutual growth. Statistics show that from January to April this year, more than 20,000 new overseas-invested firms were established across the country, up 6.8 percent year on year. Over 3,000 of these enterprises also increased their investment. A long-term, stable, and predictable cooperative relationship is inherently mutually beneficial and can never be sustained by unilateral "giving away."

Ultimately, deep integration among countries defines what true economic globalization should look like. Amid rising protectionism and unilateralism, as well as disruptions from geopolitical conflicts in recent years, China has firmly honored its commitment to opening up and emerged as a prime destination for foreign enterprises seeking sustainable investment and stable development. As China upgrades from the "world factory" to an "innovation magnet," it will continue to welcome businesses from all countries to engage in the Chinese modernization drive on an equal footing and share in the dividends of China's high-quality development.