Chongqing - Chinese companies have long ceased to be just exporters. In the first two months of 2026, outbound direct investment hit 121 billion yuan, a staggering four billion flowing overseas every day. Meanwhile, China’s “new three” exports, electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells, are growing four times faster than overall trade, underscoring the country’s tech strength. But increasingly, success is being defined by what happens beyond borders.

E‑commerce giant JD.com, after a decade of trial and error, finally unified its European operations under the JoyBuy brand, officially launched on March 16, achieving same‑day delivery across Western Europe. Automaker Changan develops engines with talent in Chongqing and the UK to serve markets from Thailand to Mexico. On March 26, it started production at a new plant in Anápolis, Brazil, adding another node in its global supply chain.

Such stories prove that going truly multinational demands more than selling abroad. For every ambitious Chinese brand, the question is no longer whether to go global, but how to put down roots.