Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group has full confidence to take deep root in China's vast and open market, said Group Senior Vice President Huang Weiwei.

As a "full-time participant" in the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the CP Group has witnessed China's steady steps toward high-level opening-up, said Huang, adding that this has further strengthened the group's confidence in the Chinese market.

In face of the growing protectionism tendency, China's commitment to holding a national expo themed on imports demonstrates its openness and confidence, Huang noted. "The CIIE embodies China's commitment to global cooperation," he said.

Thailand serves as the guest country of honor at this year's CIIE. According to Huang, CP Group has participated in all seven editions of the expo, with its exhibition scale and content expanding year by year. From agri-food products to supply chain management and food processing technologies, CP's booth showcases how the century-old enterprise has grown and innovated in the Chinese market.

"One highlight of this year's exhibition is that we have, for the first time, introduced several Thai brands that are not under CP Group," Huang said. "We hope to help more quality Thai brands reach buyers from China and around the world through the CIIE platform."

"We take part in the CIIE not only to display but also to learn," Huang added. "We will review our own business, learn from other outstanding enterprises, and explore new cooperation opportunities."

As one of the first foreign enterprises to invest in China after the country adopted an opening-up policy in the 1970s, CP Group has witnessed China's transformation over the past decades. With China's continuous economic and technological development, CP has expanded its business in the Chinese market. Currently, its most advanced unmanned food processing factories are located in the Chinese cities of Qingdao and Qinhuangdao.

"We built our most advanced plants in China because the country offers the best technology, talent, and market foundation," Huang said. "China's vast and dynamic market has injected strong momentum into CP's business, while the open business environment allows us to innovate and optimize our business models."

So far, the CP Group has established over 600 enterprises in China, employing nearly 90,000 people, making it one of the largest multinational corporations in terms of both investment scale and business diversity in the country.

Huang said the Chinese market is crucial to CP Group, accounting for about 30 percent of the group's total revenue.

Looking ahead, Huang noted that with the rapid development of China's artificial intelligence (AI) industry, the CP Group will accelerate its digital transformation in China and fully embrace the industrial changes driven by AI.

The group plans to focus its next-decade investment in China on "new quality productive forces," emphasizing high-tech, robotics, and intelligent manufacturing, he added.

"China's innovation vitality and development speed are a driving force in global industrial upgrading," Huang said. "We hope to apply the innovative experience and AI application models we gain in China to CP operations in Thailand and other countries, helping our overseas businesses enter the 'AI+' era."