These days, everyone’s talking about the internet, 5G, AI… because that’s technology. And undeniably, technology is changing our lives!

But whether you realize it or not, those buzzworthy innovations are just the tip of the iceberg. Technology is transforming our world—and enabling us to live better. From the extraordinary to the everyday, from the visible to the hidden, technology plays a role in it all.

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us a powerful lesson: When disaster strikes, what made it possible to build Huoshenshan Hospital in just 10 days? What gave us the capability to manufacture anything we needed, almost instantly? What gave us the confidence to have one province support one foreign country? Why were global cargo flights lining up overnight at our airports?

The answer is industry—our manufacturing capability. It is the very foundation of our national strength. And yet, the basic industries and general-purpose equipment manufacturing that form the bedrock of this capability are long overlooked—and even labeled as “backward sectors.” The neglect is, frankly, disheartening.

When it comes to “Made in China,” public opinion online is deeply polarized. On the surface, it appears to be open debate and a marketplace of ideas. In truth, it’s often just content tailored for clicks—especially among influencers and self-media creators. I myself am not immune. From the cliché of “we can’t even make a ballpoint pen” to the romanticism of “the art of oil-paper wrapping,” overpraise invites ridicule. Yet beneath the pride of a 5,000-year-old civilization lies a cultural worldview that clearly separates China from the rest of the world. As the modern phrase goes: There are only two countries—China and foreign countries. And maybe that isn’t unfair at all. Doesn’t it just reflect the ambition of a Kunpeng—the mythic bird—whose will reaches across the world?

Major Global General Machinery Companies with Investment in China:

1. KSB (Germany)

KSB is one of the world’s top three pump and valve manufacturers. In China, it is commonly known as “凯士比.” You might wonder—how much tech can pumps and valves really involve? Sure, for residential water supply, perhaps not much. But what about applications involving radiation, corrosion, or toxicity—like nuclear energy, chemicals, and aerospace? That’s where the sophistication lies. Since forming a joint venture with Shanghai Pump Factory in 1994, KSB remains a leading high-end brand in China’s pump and valve sector.

2. Sulzer (Switzerland)

A global industrial giant primarily focused on turbomachinery and pumps. As early as 1979, Sulzer transferred axial compressor technology to China’s Shaangu Group, which later became a leader in axial and centrifugal compressors domestically.

3. NETZSCH (Germany)

A world-renowned engineering group specializing in instruments and pumps. In 1993, NETZSCH formed a joint venture with Lanzhou Pump Factory, and later became wholly foreign-owned in 1999. It has since dominated China’s single-screw pump market.

4. Ingersoll Rand (USA)

A global machinery conglomerate and one of the first renowned compressor manufacturers to invest in China. In 1987, it established a joint venture with Shanghai Compressor Factory. Today, Ingersoll Rand remains a key brand in the air compressor field.

5. Atlas Copco (Sweden)

One of the world’s foremost compressor manufacturers, especially known for twin-screw compressors. It established a manufacturing plant in Wuxi in 1995. Atlas Copco has also been the most aggressive foreign brand in acquiring local and global competitors, giving it a strong foothold in the Chinese market.

6. Sullair (USA)

A global producer of screw compressors. In 1994, it partnered with Nanshan Development Group to form Sullair Asia, based in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District. The company became part of Hitachi Group in 2017.

7. Air Liquide (France)

A major multinational group and one of the world’s top providers of industrial and medical gases. It established its first Chinese branch in Shanghai in 1991, followed by branches in Hangzhou and Tianjin in 1995.

8. Linde Group (Germany)

One of the world’s largest producers of air separation equipment, industrial gases, chemical products, and petrochemical engineering solutions. Linde has previously transferred its technologies to Chinese firms such as Hangyang and Kaifeng Air Separation Group.

9. Howden Group (UK)

Formed a joint venture, Howden Hua Engineering Co., Ltd., in Weihai, China, in 1994. Its main products include fans, heat exchangers, blowers, and compressors—making it a prominent brand in China’s fan and blower sector.

10. Halifax Fan (UK)

Established a wholly owned factory in Shenzhen in 2000. It is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty and centrifugal fans.

China possesses the most complete industrial system in the world, but not yet the strongest. To be fair, even the U.S. at its industrial peak in the 1950s–60s—when it held nearly half of global GDP—was not “the strongest in everything.” What we pursue is not perfection in all fields, but excellence in as many as possible. Narrowing the gap has been, and still is, our core mission.

Take general-purpose machinery as an example. At the start of China’s reform and opening-up, the technical level of our general machinery industry lagged behind the global benchmark by 20–30 years. It was urgent to introduce advanced technologies. Guided by the principle of “trading market access for technology,” China brought in top-tier global machinery manufacturers. To this day, many of them still dominate their respective segments, with few domestic challengers. This reality demands serious reflection.

In conclusion: According to the China General Machinery Industry Yearbook, joint-venture and foreign-invested enterprises account for over 10% of the total number of companies in the general machinery sector. Their sales revenue accounts for over 20%, and their profits make up more than 35%. However, both their revenue and profit shares are gradually declining—explaining the growing trend of mergers and acquisitions among international brands in the Chinese market. This also reflects the steadily rising competitiveness of Chinese enterprises. With time, domestic general machinery manufacturers like FOOEN will surely make their mark on the global stage.

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