Osamu Hideyoshi, president of Asahi Kasei Co., Ltd., introduced the Chinese business and future strategy of Asahi Kasei in Shanghai last week, stressing that the company will further deepen the Chinese market.
According to Xiao Yan, China accounts for nearly 10% of the global sales of Asahi Kasei. The company's sales in China exceeds 10 billion yuan, of which about 80% is in the materials business. In terms of market structure, China has gradually stepped out from the 'world factory'. It has become a huge market with a wealthy and middle-class consumer group. Therefore, China's economic growth has brought a strong influence to the industry, and Asahi Kasei will further deepen the Chinese market. The company is currently building a composites plant in Changshu, Jiangsu Province. A functional resin composite based on polyamide and polypropylene with an annual production capacity of 28,000 tons. It is scheduled to be put into operation in early 2020.
For the future development, Xiao Wei said that on the basis of the existing production and sales operations, the company will enhance China's position as a research and development base, continuously meet the needs of China's growing industries, and will pay more attention to local talent development. The demand for automobiles and health-related industries in the western inland areas is also gradually increasing. The company is exploring the establishment of sales outlets in the western region.
In late August, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that due to factors such as Sino-US trade friction, some Japanese companies including Asahi Kasei will adjust their business in China. In early September, some domestic media claimed that Asahi Kasei will withdraw from China in full, followed by Asahi Kasei issued a statement in his Chinese official website to clarify and condemned the release and reprint of the false report.