The 2026 China Outbound Investment Forum, hosted by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), was held in Beijing on Saturday, October 17.
The forum was co-organized by the China Association of International Trade (CAIT), the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies (CWTO), with the Project Management Institute (PMI) and 01.AI as strategic partners.
The event brought together government officials, business leaders, diplomats, representatives of international organizations and business associations, scholars, and professional service providers. Discussions covered globalization policy, international investment, Chinese companies’ overseas operations, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, China-Europe cooperation, and international project management.
Noted speakers include Chen Deming, China’s former Minister of Commerce,
and Chen Jian, China’s former Vice Minister of Commerce.
Globalization policy and opportunities for Chinese companies
The opening ceremony was moderated by Mabel Lu Miao, Co-founder and Secretary-General of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG).
Henry Huiyao Wang, President of CCG and former Counselor of the State Council, delivered welcome remarks.
Chen Jian, former Vice Minister of Commerce and Distinguished Expert of the CPPCC National Committee Talent Pool for Consultative Governance, delivered an opening keynote address.
Kai-Fu Lee, Chairman of Sinovation Ventures and Founder and CEO of 01.AI, delivered a keynote address.
Massimo Meloni, Chief of the Policy Research Section, Division on Investment and Enterprise, UNCTAD, presented findings from the World Investment Report 2026.
The morning program also featured keynote addresses on strategies for Chinese companies operating globally.
Speakers included Jiang Xipei, Founder and Chairman of Far East Holding Group;
Miranda Wang, Managing Director for China at the Project Management Institute (PMI);
Kimi Liu, Vice President of Trip.com Group and CEO of Tripadvisor China;
Sasan Karimi, Co-founder and Vice President for Global Affairs at the PAIAB Institute;
and Ray Zhang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Airdoc.
Chen Deming, former Minister of Commerce of China, delivered the concluding address of the morning program.
Artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and cross-border e-commerce
The afternoon forum on “Artificial Intelligence, the Digital Economy and Cross-Border E-Commerce” was moderated by Tang Min, Vice President of CCG and former Counselor of the State Council.
Speakers included Chen Kuan, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Infervision;
Chen Yonglan, Chairman of China Carbon Neutral Development Group Limited;
Liu Zan, Director of Brand Public Relations at QuantGroup;
Justin Liu, Vice President of PayPal China;
Kimi Liu, Vice President of Trip.com Group and CEO of Tripadvisor China;
Lu Yajun, Dean of the Bilibili Institute of Public Policy;
Min Hao, Chairman of Dongwu Shian IoT Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.;
and Wang Yingqi, Co-founder and Executive President of TowardPi Medical.
Following the presentations, Tang moderated a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Participants discussed international market entry, cross-border talent needs, AI applications, regulatory compliance, digital content exports, and sustainable development.
China-Europe cooperation
The “China-Europe Cooperation Session” was moderated by Zichen Wang, Deputy Secretary-General of CCG.
Speakers included Peng Gang, former Minister at the Chinese Mission to the European Union and Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce
Adam Dunnett, Secretary-General of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China;
Rza Aliyev, Secretary-General of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center;
Karim Alwadi, Co-founder of Beltway Group;
Daniel Albrecht, a German attorney at law and Managing Counsel of Starke, and Board Member of the German Chamber of Commerce in China;
Anthony Wang, venture capital investor and Schwarzman Scholar;
Dennis Günther, Chief Strategy Officer of Huaou Tonghai International Services;
Timo Blenk, Partner and CEO of Agora Strategy Group;
and Xu Chengzhi, Global Chief Public Affairs Officer of Windey Energy Technology Group Co., Ltd.
Corporate globalization and project management
The “Forum on Corporate Globalization and Project Management” was moderated by John Zhanjie Zhao, Deputy Secretary-General of CCG.
Miranda Wang, Managing Director for China at the Project Management Institute (PMI), delivered the featured address.
The session also featured case studies presented by Fang Zheng, Head of North America Strategy at LONGi Green Energy;
Chen Shumin, AI Empowerment Expert at Midea Group (Meiyun Zhishu);
Zhao Shasha, Head of International Product Project Management at Envision Energy;
and Guo Xiumei, Head of PPMC at the Drug Information Association (DIA) and Head of Strategic Planning at CanSino Biologics.
Zhang Wei, Vice President and Senior Fellow of CCG, delivered the closing remarks, concluding the daytime program.
Global recommendations announcement and networking dinner
The forum continued in the evening with the “2026 China Outbound Investment Forum: Global Recommendations Announcement and Networking Dinner”.
Henry Huiyao Wang, President of CCG and former Counselor of the State Council, delivered opening remarks.
Other keynote speakers included Jin Xu, President of the China Association of International Trade under China’s Ministry of Commerce
and Ma Jianchun, President of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, under China’s Ministry of Commerce
During the dinner, Mabel Lu Miao, Co-founder and Secretary-General of CCG, announced three global recommendation lists: Top 50 Recommended Manufacturing Companies Going Global, Top 50 Recommended Service Providers for Global Expansion, and Top 50 Recommended Young Business Leaders.
The manufacturing list covered industries including new energy vehicles, electronics, clean energy, healthcare, industrial equipment, and consumer products. The service providers list featured companies and organizations working in digital platforms, cloud computing, consulting, legal services, cross-border payments, and project management. The young business leaders list highlighted emerging entrepreneurs and executives in artificial intelligence, robotics, consumer brands, smart hardware, and digital services.
The evening program also featured keynote addresses by Massimo Meloni of UNCTAD
and Kai-Fu Lee, Chairman of Sinovation Ventures and Founder and CEO of 01.AI.
Cultural performances and networking activities provided further opportunities for participants from business, government, international organizations, and professional services to meet and explore potential cooperation.
CCG will continue to promote dialogue among businesses, policymakers, researchers, and international partners, supporting Chinese companies’ global development and greater international economic cooperation.
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