On July 16th, the "2026 Sina Global Capital Summit," hosted by Sina Finance, was grandly held in Hong Kong, China. The summit, themed "Rooted in Hong Kong, Vision for the World," brought together global leaders from politics, business, academia, and research to engage in in-depth dialogues on core issues such as global capital market trends, cross-border capital allocation, and the international expansion of technology companies.
During a roundtable forum titled "The Voyage and Localization of Chinese Tech Companies," Mr. Zhang Ju, Chief Financial Officer and Board Secretary of UBTECH ROBOTICS (HKG: 09880), outlined a fundamental approach to overseas markets characterized by caution without abandonment. He emphasized a three-tiered strategic logic.
Domestic Market as the Foundation
The first tier underscores the domestic market as the company's bedrock. "Both the upstream and downstream supply chains are in China, and the largest application scenarios and the world's factory are here. The domestic market space is always the top priority," Zhang stated. He highlighted the speed of innovation, noting, "The reaction time is much faster. Previously, an iteration might have taken about two years. Now, we can iterate a humanoid robot in just a few months. It's very fast."
Overseas Market as an Essential Frontier
The second tier asserts that the overseas market cannot be forsaken. "The overseas market is far larger than the Chinese market," Zhang explained. He pointed to financial advantages, adding, "Overseas gross margins are certainly higher than in China because labor costs there are significantly higher than domestic costs. The ROI is very easy to calculate."
Prioritizing Secure Expansion Routes
The third tier focuses on securing stable pathways for international expansion. UBTECH is pursuing two main approaches. The first involves "relying on local strategic partners" to develop specific niche overseas markets. The second is "sailing on borrowed ships"—following the overseas expansion of leading domestic clients, such as new energy vehicle factories. The strategy is to "first refine operations in their domestic factories, then move to their large-scale local factories overseas." This dual approach ensures the company is "both cautious and steady, better leveraging the strength of partners to navigate the path of going global more effectively."
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