The Chinese government has signaled its desire for Samsung Electronics to expand local investment ahead of the Two Sessions, the country's largest annual political gathering comprising the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
The move is interpreted as China seeking to strengthen cooperation with semiconductor powerhouse Samsung as it enters the first year of implementing its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which centers on scientific and technological self-reliance. Samsung Electronics operates semiconductor factories in Xi'an and Suzhou, China, with the Xi'an facility accounting for approximately 30% of the company's NAND flash production capacity.
According to China's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday, Vice Minister Ling Ji, who also serves as Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, met with Yang Jie, President of Samsung Electronics' China Strategic Cooperation Office, on February 28 to discuss Samsung's business operations and development direction in China.
During the meeting, Vice Minister Ling stated, "In recent years, China has achieved rapid development across various sectors, with industries such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology growing vigorously, creating many potential markets and application scenarios." He added, "During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will drive industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation, and continuously nurture and expand emerging and future industries."
Vice Minister Ling continued, "We hope Samsung will continue to deepen its engagement in China and achieve greater development."
President Yang responded, "Over the 34 years since entering China, we have continuously expanded our investment areas and cooperation opportunities in step with China's industrial advancement. Samsung is very optimistic about China's development prospects and will continue to focus on industrial development opportunities in China while actively expanding investment."
The Two Sessions opens Wednesday afternoon with the opening ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The final version of the 15th Five-Year Plan, which serves as the national economic blueprint for the next five years, is expected to receive official approval. Under the banner of "new quality productive forces"—technology-driven economic development emphasized by President Xi Jinping—China is expected to unveil mid-to-long-term growth strategies for fostering advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, and quantum technology.