Highlights

• Top economists at the 2026 China Chief Economists Forum declared that China assets are shifting from optional to globally unavoidable for investors, powered by policy certainty, accelerating industrial innovation, and stronger capital-market backing.
• China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) signals unprecedented equity-market support including stabilization-fund-like tools, clear industrial priorities from traditional to future sectors, and state-guided patient capital for strategic industries.
• The AI-plus-manufacturing thesis positions China to monetize AI globally through open-source models, low-cost hardware embedding intelligence, and manufacturing scale that creates data feedback loops—intensifying competition with Western firms.

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At the 2026 China Chief Economists Forum held January 10–11, several leading economists argued that “China assets” are shifting from being “optional for overseas investors” to “globally unavoidable.” They attributed this to a three-part tailwind: 1) greater policy certainty, 2) accelerating industrial innovation, and 3) stronger capital-market support. Entering the opening year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (“15th FYP,” 2026–2030), speakers said a new phase of systematic re-rating is emerging—policy is steady, industry is advancing, and capital markets are more active.

Policy signals: certainty as the foundation.

Citigroup’s Greater China chief economist Yu Xiangrong (opens in a new tab) said 2025 marked a turning point in how foreign investors view China because long-term goals laid out in successive five-year plans were (in his telling) largely achieved, reinforcing confidence in the policy framework going forward.

Yu Xiangrong, Chief China Economist, Managing Director at Citi

Huatai Asset Management’s chief economist Wang Jun said proposed 15th FYP priorities are clearer and more specific than prior cycles, mapping development from traditional sectors to emerging and “future” industries. Economist Lian Ping (opens in a new tab) forecast continued fiscal support and argued capital markets—especially equities—will benefit from unusually strong policy backing, including new tools described as “stabilization-fund-like” measures.

Industrial “breakthrough”: innovation plus manufacturing scale.

Several speakers emphasized China’s ability to convert innovation into products quickly. Examples included robotics and “embodied intelligence,” which they said depend on deep traditional manufacturing capabilities. Rare Earth Exchanges suggests these downstream innovations are part of the longer term China plan for economic supremacy.  Economist Liu Yuhui claimed China’s open-source foundation models may become a major option for global AI developers, while manufacturing scale enables low-cost hardware that can embed AI, sell globally, and generate data feedback loops.

Capital and investment themes.

Nomura’s Lu Ting (opens in a new tab) highlighted “patient capital” via state-guided industrial funds operated by professional managers. Others promoted M&A consolidation, “going global” champions, VC/tech stocks, and REIT-style asset monetization.

Why this is business-newsworthy (key updates)

1. Officially bullish “re-rating” narrative for China assets entering the 15th FYP cycle.
2. Explicit callout of equity-market support tools, including stabilization-fund-like mechanisms.
3. AI + manufacturing thesis framed as a path to monetize AI globally via devices and data.

Implications for the West/USA

• Signals intensifying competition in AI commercialization (open-source models + hardware scale).
• Reinforces the case that China may use capital-market policy tools to support strategic sectors.
• Suggests continued emphasis on industrial policy, supply-chain security, and outbound expansion—areas that can directly affect Western firms and investors.

Disclaimer: This item originates from Chinese financial media linked to state-affiliated entities and Chinse sources; readers should verify claims and statistics with independent sources before relying on them.

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