Michael Cheng, President, RX Greater China Photo: Courtesy of RX Greater China

China continues to play a vital role in global supply chain connectivity, as the world's second largest economy maintains growth momentum and attracts fresh rounds of foreign investment, Michael Cheng, President, RX Greater China, whose operations span the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, said in an interview with the Global Times. 

Cheng, who has championed a long-term approach to exhibitions as the "infrastructure" for industrial growth and technological advancement, views global trade integration through a strategic lens that transcends short-term cycles.

China's GDP rose by 5.0 percent year-on-year in 2025, followed by 4.7 percent growth in the first half of 2026. At a time when growth across major economies has broadly slowed, China still accounted for roughly 30 percent of global economic growth, underscoring its role as a stabilizing force in an uncertain world.

RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organizations. Against the backdrop of a global supply chain reset, RX sees China as a key player in the evolving international production network, Cheng noted. 

"As manufacturing and sourcing patterns are being redrawn at an unprecedented pace," he said, "China's scale, resilience and industrial depth remain integral to global commerce — not as a static advantage, but as a dynamic ecosystem that continuously adapts and evolves alongside other major manufacturing hubs worldwide."

"The most important point is that China continues to offer something very few economies can match: a highly integrated industrial ecosystem and an enormous domestic market," Cheng said. "That makes China an essential node in the global production network." For Cheng, this is a conviction rooted in RX's long-term commitment to the Chinese market — a commitment that has guided the company's presence in China for over 40 years.

"Resilience and agile competitiveness are the keys to navigating a volatile global environment," Cheng said, adding that when global supply chains are hit by shocks, China's manufacturing ecosystem has demonstrated an ability to maintain continuity and reliability — the very "certainty" multinational companies value most in an era defined by disruption.

That certainty, however, does not mean rigidity, he added. "The responsiveness of China's manufacturing ecosystem enables the deep coordination of local R&D and local production to continuously generate innovative solutions that benefit global markets," Cheng said.

Nearly 4,800 foreign-funded enterprises made additional investments in China in the first half of 2026, underscoring the country's enduring appeal at a time when supply chains are being reconfigured amid geopolitical tensions, technological shifts and changing consumption patterns. Notably, the share of FDI flowing into high-tech industries continued to rise, further improving the overall quality of foreign investment.

The surge in foreign investment indicates that market confidence remains intact, according to Cheng. It is not a short-term bet on policy incentives, but a reflection of a longer-term shift in business logic, Cheng noted. "Global industrial chains are moving from pure cost efficiency toward ecosystem collaboration. What global companies see in China is a market that combines stability and agility — resilience as the foundation and agility as the means; together they form sustainable competitiveness that benefits the entire global trading system."

In response, RX Greater China is accelerating its global outreach in 2026 with a broader exhibition strategy aimed at fostering cross-border industrial collaboration and strengthening global supply chain connectivity.

"Amidst the evolving global trade landscape, our events provide stability, connect supply chains, and unlock cross-border opportunities — not as one-off transactions, but as long-term infrastructure for industry growth," he said.

Under the theme "Resilient Connections, Shared Future," Cheng said RX Greater China has expanded its flagship events in China to seven outbound editions in 2026, up from three in 2025, as it evolves from being a "gateway into China" to becoming a trusted platform for global industrial ecosystems.

Among the new projects, the Industrial Technology World Asia in Vietnam (ITWA@Vietnam) was held in Hanoi from August 5 to 7, targeting Vietnam's rapidly growing manufacturing sector and its ambition to move up the global supply chain through increased localization and technological upgrading.

Bakery ASEAN also debuted in Jakarta from August 27-29, marking the first international edition of its Bakery China exhibition in nearly three decades. The organizer said Indonesia was selected because of its growing role in regional economic cooperation and the rapid growth of its baking market, which is forecast to expand at a compound annual growth rate of about 8 percent.

RX Greater China's consumer goods arm is also expanding its presence in Indonesia, Vietnam and South Korea, marking a broadening push to connect industries across Asia with global markets and international buyers. Beyond these new entries, RX Greater China has already established a foothold in Southeast Asia through WEPSEA (packaging) in Indonesia and tHIS ASEAN (healthcare) in Malaysia.

According to Cheng, Vietnam is a natural choice for industrial technology shows given its manufacturing upgrading and growing integration into regional supply chains. Indonesia offers a fast-growing consumer market with a population of nearly 290 million and a packaging sector expanding at over 10 percent annually, making it a dynamic hub for manufacturers across Asia. Malaysia serves as a strategic gateway for healthcare industries into the ASEAN region, while South Korea provides a high-end consumer market where brand strength can be tested and elevated.

"These markets serve different stages of companies expanding across borders," Cheng said. "For firms at the exploration stage, Indonesia and Vietnam are bridgeheads to validate business models. For healthcare firms, Malaysia provides direct access to ASEAN's procurement networks. For those seeking brand upgrading, South Korea is the proving ground."

While empowering outbound connections, the company also helps enhance inbound sourcing efficiency.

RX Greater China events are becoming launchpads for applied innovation, showcasing cutting-edge advancements from around the world, such as ROBOTECH - Asia's first full-industry-chain exhibition for embodied intelligence robotics, covering industrial, service and special-purpose robotics with an emphasis on core component localization, unstructured scenarios and matching supply with demand.

Guangzhou Automotive Productivity Conference 2026 will focus on applications for deeper digitalization, industrial artificial intelligence and embodied intelligence in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a region that Cheng identifies as a critical frontier for next-generation automotive manufacturing and smart automation. 

The Greater Bay Area is a key focus for RX's business in technology and life sciences. BIOHK2026, jointly organized by the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization and Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions, brought together biotechnology companies, researchers and investors. "Hong Kong connects innovation across China with global capital and commercial partners," Cheng said. "Through BIOHK, we help companies build the relationships needed to bring innovations to the market."

The company's 2026 roadmap comes as China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) is expected to prioritize strategic emerging industries, including automotive intelligent manufacturing, embodied robotics and biomedicine.

"Policy signals are clear, but the industry needs a platform that can convert top-level design into lasting growth momentum," he said. "In the past, an exhibition was mainly a window for display. Now it is a strategic bridge that connects global buyers, suppliers, policymakers, innovators and end users. The value is no longer only in transactions, but in turning connection into broader transformation and progress."

Cheng said that his company is committed to strengthening China's role as an important growth engine and a good platform for cross-border, cross-sector collaboration. The broader significance of these exhibitions, Cheng said, lies in how they help build industrial ecosystems where businesses and communities can both benefit and thrive, not just trading venues.

Global Times