Recently, China’s impressive mid-year 2025 economic report captured global attention: its GDP for the first half of the year reached 66.1 trillion yuan, a 5.3% year-on-year increase. Organizations like the IMF and Morgan Stanley have raised their growth forecasts for China, while many multinationals increased their investments in Chinese assets. Notably, China’s expansion of visa-free policies and openness initiatives have allowed more global stakeholders to benefit from its development dividends. So, how can overseas SMEs align themselves with these opportunities?
This is no idle question. Many international SMEs are already enjoying China’s growth. For example, an Indonesian coffee brand achieved an annual 217% growth in exports to China via the Nanning Free Trade Zone. A Vietnamese furniture company closed $500,000 in a single livestream sale. The Sino-German (Taicang) SME Cooperation Park has incubated 127 projects and become a model for German SMEs benefiting from China's growth. According to a recent survey by Germany’s Hidden Champions Association, 78% of European SMEs consider China their top partner for technological cooperation.
Rather than wait, it's better to act now. Here are four practical ways for overseas SMEs to engage with China's development dividends:
1. Seize Policy Windows: Engage with China’s 26 bilateral SME cooperation mechanisms and focus on 165 cross-border e-commerce pilot zones (e.g., 92% tariff reduction under RCEP).
2. Leverage Digital Infrastructure: Adopt Chinese cloud services and livestreaming tools to enhance services and increase transaction volumes. For instance, Vietnamese furniture brand Saigon Wood achieved $500,000 in a single sale using a livestream base in Hangzhou. According to Alibaba’s “2025 White Paper on Cross-border SMEs,” overseas SMEs using Chinese cloud services rose 43% year-on-year.
3. Integrate into the Industrial Chain: Target China’s intelligent manufacturing demand. 78% of European SMEs prefer China as their tech collaboration partner. National-level parks like Sino-German (Taicang) offer precise matchmaking opportunities.
4. Invest in Local Marketing: This usually requires third-party assistance. For example, Zhidian Marketing provides a one-stop solution for overseas SMEs entering China—from website building, SEO, monitoring, PR, influencer campaigns, exhibitions, social media, and e-commerce operations to on-ground activities. Founded in 2008, Zhidian operates in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and overseas in Singapore, the U.S., and Canada, serving over 20 industries with global coverage.
In today’s era of uncertainty, China’s development dividends represent one of the few certainties. According to Li Qiang, Deputy Director of the Global Industry Research Institute at Tsinghua University, China’s “dual circulation” strategy is expected to generate over 800 billion yuan in market opportunities for overseas SMEs by 2026—particularly in smart manufacturing, green energy, and the silver economy.
For overseas SMEs, these four paths offer a scientific and effective roadmap for tapping into China’s development dividends.
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