In the First Half of 2025, Chinese Enterprises Unveiled a New Global Chapter

Two landmark announcements arrived in mid-August. On August 16 (Beijing time), under the witness of Brazilian President Lula, Vice President Alckmin, and Chinese Ambassador to Brazil Zhu Qingqiao, Great Wall Motor’s new factory in Camaçari, Brazil, was officially completed and began operations. Just days later, on August 19, Pop Mart released its first-half 2025 financial results, reporting triple-digit revenue growth across China, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, and other regions, with the Americas segment alone generating RMB 2.26 billion—more than ten times last year’s figure.

Although these two companies operate in distinct sectors—automotive and new consumer—and in different markets—South America and North America—they share the same theme: global expansion. If international growth were a game, many Chinese enterprises in the first half of 2025 have unlocked an advanced level. In this new phase, China’s globalization is more intense, more robust, and more strategic.

Late last year, a labor dispute at BYD’s Brazilian facilities sparked headlines when Brazil’s Ministry of Labor reported harsh working conditions and “rescued” factory employees. Despite the controversy, BYD pressed ahead. On July 1, local media in Bahia reported that BYD opened its new Camaçari plant to the press, showcasing assembled electric vehicles and announcing that production would commence within weeks.

According to the Ministry of Commerce and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, China’s total outward direct investment reached RMB 574.86 billion in the first half of 2025, down 5.1% year-on-year, while non-financial outbound investment edged up 0.6% to RMB 518.89 billion. Key drivers included manufacturing, technology, and the new energy value chain. New energy vehicles led this charge: China exported 1.06 million units in the first half—up 75.2% year-on-year—following 1.203 million and 1.284 million exports in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

BYD’s overseas passenger car and pickup sales topped 470,000 units in the first half—surpassing its full-year 2024 total and marking 130% growth—while Great Wall Motor sold 559,700 vehicles domestically and abroad, a 7.79% increase, including 201,500 overseas units, up 62.59%. Great Wall’s pickup models have rolled out in Australia and Mexico, illustrating the brand’s global reach.

Other front-runners include Haier and Hisense in appliances, vivo, Anker Innovations, and Roborock in consumer electronics, Pop Mart and Heytea in new consumption, and AI firms such as DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics. vivo, for example, held 9% of the global smartphone market in Q2 2025—its fourth-place ranking—while its Chief Operating Officer Hu Baishan reported that over half of the company’s revenue now comes from overseas, with targets of 60% next year and 70% the year after.

China’s overseas expansion has entered a 2.0 era of enhanced capabilities. In past decades, coastal provinces built low-cost, labor-intensive factories for foreign brands, establishing garment, appliance, and furniture production hubs that populated households worldwide. Today, Chinese firms combine cost efficiency with quality and technology.

The “new trio” of new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, and lithium batteries showcase China’s technical edge. On May 15, 2025, BYD inaugurated its European headquarters in Budapest. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán praised the development, noting Hungary’s aim to attract not only manufacturing but also R&D and innovation. The new facility will handle sales, after-sales service, certification and testing, localized design, and advanced research into intelligent driving and next-generation electrification.

Traditional sectors are also moving upmarket. Hisense and Haier televisions and washing machines are entering more global households, while a Chinese-made outdoor sofa can fetch USD 6,000 and a pool-cleaning robot may sell for five times the industry average.

Some companies rely purely on advanced technology. Bloomberg reported on February 1 that DeepSeek’s AI assistant led mobile app download charts in 140 markets, with India contributing the largest share of new users. Analysts dubbed its rise China’s “DeepSeek moment,” akin to the Soviet “Sputnik moment” in space.

Beyond hardware and tech, Chinese brands export culture. After a global restructuring on August 19, Pop Mart’s first-half report showed Asia-Pacific revenue up 257.8%, the Americas up 1,142.3%, and Europe and other regions up 729.2%. LABUBU figures soared eightfold in the U.S. and fivefold in Europe, with queues forming outside stores. New beverage brands Heytea, Nayuki, and Cha Bai Dao have also carried Chinese culture worldwide. Pop Mart has strengthened its global brand protection by updating its “POPOP” trademark, illustrating a strategic shift from merely exporting IP to actively safeguarding it.

Today, Chinese enterprises operate with four core competencies: manufacturing, technology, culture, and business models. Leading players no longer rely on a single strength but combine multiple elements—“manufacturing plus technology” (BYD, Anker Innovations, vivo), “manufacturing plus culture” (Pop Mart, Miniso), pure “technology” (DeepSeek), or “technology plus business model” (Meituan, TikTok).

As global trade tensions persist, Chinese firms have adapted. U.S. Customs’ new origin-verification system and potential European tariff measures raise market entry barriers, but companies are responding with strategic alliances and smarter playbooks.

In June, Minister Wang Wentao and EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič met in Paris to finalize electric vehicle pricing commitments. Meanwhile, enterprises are building strategic launchpads. In the first half of 2025, firms such as CATL and Mixue Ice Cream & Tea chose Hong Kong listings; Anker Innovations announced it is evaluating a Hong Kong IPO as early as next year, leveraging its global-born identity—96.42% of its 2024 revenue came from overseas.

Localization has extended from operations to decision-making. At a January 15, 2024, online annual meeting, vivo’s founder and CEO Shen Wei emphasized a “More Local, More Global” strategy, granting product definition, development, marketing, and brand decisions to frontline teams. Indonesia’s “Motorcycle Mode” and the Middle East’s “Desert Mode” exemplify region-specific innovations, from call-blocking while riding to heat-dissipation optimizations, while concert and festival camera enhancements catered to Thailand’s live events.

Some companies have shifted from broad expansion to deep market cultivation. vivo’s sustained leadership in India reflects investments in local factories, retail stores, and talent—laying the groundwork for an “India model.” Pop Mart’s April restructuring created four regional headquarters—Greater China, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe—each with core markets operating independently, supported by centralized brand teams. Chairman Wang Ning explained that this flattening of management enhances global responsiveness and cultural adaptability.

BYD, once volume-driven, now pursues targeted local integration. When unveiling its European HQ in Hungary, Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu described the move as deep integration with the local automotive industry. Under trade-friction risks, many firms are moving beyond “betting on the West” to weave a truly global network. Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America stand out as new growth fronts.

In Brazil, BYD’s factory employs over 1,000 local staff and partners with municipal and state governments on vocational training for EV, battery, and smart-manufacturing skills. Internet platforms have followed suit: Meituan’s CEO Wang Xing highlighted Brazil’s huge potential, and Kuaishou’s Q1 report noted steady increases in daily active usage there.

China’s global expansion has entered a “new maritime era.” From the wild-growth days of Lenovo’s IBM acquisition to today’s tech-driven, precision-targeted strategies, the methodology has evolved. In 2025, international expansion is no longer a gambit but a calculated game. For enterprises like vivo—championing “maximizing user value”—and BYD—aspiring to “cool the planet by 1°C”—these universal missions resonate across cultures and geographies, uniting consumers worldwide.