TCL Founder and Chairman Li Dongsheng: Global Rules Are Changing, Chinese Enterprises Need to Re-optimize Their Globalization Strategy

Daily Economic News Reporter | Zhang Rui Daily Economic News Editor | Chen Junjie

March 22–23, the China Development High-Level Forum 2026 Annual Conference was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

TCL Founder and Chairman Li Dongsheng spoke at the “Technological Innovation and Future Industry Development” seminar, focusing on how to promote cutting-edge technology transformation into practical productivity, deepen international cooperation, and build a modern industrial system.

During the conference, Li Dongsheng was interviewed by media including Daily Economic News reporters.

Li Dongsheng said that as a traditional consumer electronics and home appliance company, TCL has explored many new advanced manufacturing sectors in its development. Currently, the main focus is on four industries: smart terminals, semiconductor displays, photovoltaic new energy, and semiconductor materials.

“We have set ambitious goals in all four sectors, with each aiming for double-digit growth this year,” he said. The growth drivers come from two aspects: product technological innovation and overseas business expansion.

He mentioned that the company’s performance at the start of the year has been good, with solid growth in the first two months. However, the impact of the Middle East situation on the market began to show in March, and there will be some challenges ahead. “But we are confident in achieving our growth targets for this year.”

Provided by the organizer

Hoping for a more relaxed financing environment for heavy-asset, long-cycle sectors

This year’s “Government Work Report” set the economic growth target at 4.5%–5%. In Li Dongsheng’s view, this is a reasonable and achievable range.

He stated that China’s future economic development must maintain moderate growth while paying more attention to growth quality. In recent years, we have emphasized high-quality development. For both the country and enterprises, development quality is more important than scale.

Regarding China’s economic growth potential, Li Dongsheng believes it mainly comes from two aspects: first, innovation-driven growth through new products, new technologies, and new markets, such as the application of artificial intelligence technology which will bring huge economic growth opportunities; second, the development of the service sector, which still has significant room for growth compared to developed economies, especially through technological innovation and new product introduction, which can drive related service industry growth.

From an enterprise perspective, what policies are expected to stimulate these potentials?

Li Dongsheng said that TCL, as an advanced manufacturing enterprise, operates in sectors characterized by high technology, heavy assets, and long cycles. The main drivers of enterprise development are twofold: one is technological innovation, mainly relying on the company’s own investment and accumulation; the other is capital, hoping for a more relaxed financing environment. In these heavy-asset, long-cycle sectors, continuous capital investment is necessary. Currently, most Chinese companies are in the accumulation stage, and obtaining better financing conditions is a direct prerequisite for the development of advanced manufacturing.

Regarding TCL’s potential points, Li Dongsheng mentioned that future growth mainly comes from two aspects: first, enhancing advanced manufacturing capabilities to promote product technological innovation and market growth; second, expanding globally. “The Chinese market is large, but the global market is even bigger,” he said. In the context of reshaping the new global trade and investment landscape, how Chinese companies adapt to changes in economic globalization, develop better strategies, and promote more effective global business deployment will be the most important growth areas for us in the future. Over the past few years, TCL’s overseas business has grown by 15%, outpacing domestic growth, and we are confident this trend will continue.

There is still much room for improvement in audiovisual content and high-definition display content supply

Regarding the ongoing turbulence in the international situation, Li Dongsheng admitted that there are concerns about overseas business. The global market is constantly changing, including the impact of the Middle East situation. But companies cannot change the macro environment; they can only adapt and do their own work well. “Despite various factors, we are confident in achieving our overseas business growth targets this year.”

Li Dongsheng mentioned that currently, global technological competition and cooperation are intertwined. Although the geopolitical environment is complex, business should be a common language among nations.

He stated that China’s economic globalization still has huge potential. Enterprises, as economic entities, should proactively expand foreign investment and international cooperation. Against this backdrop, companies need to achieve globalization transformation, moving toward Globalization 3.0—shifting from product exports to co-building industrial capabilities, rooting overseas, integrating locally, and enhancing global resource allocation.

When asked about his views on Chinese companies going abroad amid the current international situation, Li Dongsheng told Daily Economic News that rules related to globalization are changing. Chinese companies need to adapt to these changes and optimize their global strategies accordingly.

This year’s “Government Work Report” proposed to allocate 250 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special bonds to support consumption upgrades and old-for-new policies, aiming to optimize policy implementation mechanisms. Li Dongsheng believes this policy will directly boost domestic market demand.

Regarding the statement that “without the old-for-new policy, the TV industry will decline,” Li Dongsheng said that overall, the global TV market is still growing, but China’s TV market has indeed declined in recent years.

“I think this is not mainly a product issue but related to insufficient content supply for the TV industry,” he explained. For example, the supply of audiovisual content and high-definition display content still has much room for improvement. In the entire film and entertainment industry, TV as a terminal product accounts for a relatively small share of the industry chain value.

“Taking the U.S. as an example, the film and television industry’s annual output value is about 4 trillion yuan, while China’s is about 1.6 trillion yuan. There is still significant growth potential,” he said. Only with rich content and ample supply can terminal demand be stimulated.