The China Development Forum (CDF) 2026 was grandly held from March 22 to 23 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Under the theme "China in Its 15th Five-Year Plan Period: Advancing High-Quality Development and Creating New Opportunities Together", the forum brought together global business leaders, heads of international organizations, and renowned scholars. On March 22, Chinese Premier Li Qiang of the State Council attended the opening ceremony of the CDF 2026 in Beijing and delivered a keynote speech.

Premier Li Qiang stated that China is committed to being a "cornerstone of certainty" and a "harbor of stability" for the world. The 15th Five-Year Plan is not only a new blueprint for China's development but also a new opportunity for global development. China will focus on promoting high-quality development, ensure steady economic growth, and continue to foster a sound business environment while fully implementing national treatment for foreign-invested enterprises, enabling companies from around the world to operate with reassurance and achieve great success in China.

Photo: Khun Saravoot Yoovidhya, CEO of TCP Group, was invited to attend the CDF 2026

Khun Saravoot Yoovidhya, CEO of TCP Group, the founder of Red Bull and a representative of Thai enterprises investing in China, was invited to attend the opening ceremony for the second consecutive year. He delivered a keynote speech at the symposium on "New Trends and Opportunities in Consumption Growth", followed by in-depth discussions with participants from various sectors to better understand the Chinese market and explore new avenues for future cooperation and development.

Photo: Khun Saravoot Yoovidhya delivered a keynote speech at a symposium of the CDF 2026

Khun Saravoot Yoovidhya remarked that the address was highly encouraging, sending a strong and positive signal for China's future development. What left a particularly strong impression on him were the Premier’s perspectives on markets, development, and the future. Such a vast market like China, as it continues to move forward, will undoubtedly create new development opportunities for companies like TCP Group, motivating us to keep innovating and deepening our connection with consumers. For TCP Group, the Red Bull brand has been in China for more than three decades, growing alongside this market. China’s long-term vision and resilience give us a strong sense of confidence and certainty about the future, as well as a strong sense of partnership in China’s high-quality development.

"15th Five-Year Plan" Ushers in a New Era of Progress, Offering Broad Opportunities for Global Enterprises in the Chinese Market

The year 2026 marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period. The recently concluded National Two Sessions reviewed and approved the 15th Five-Year Plan, drawing a clear "blueprint for action" for China's development over the next five years. The Plan explicitly calls for building a strong domestic market, expanding high-standard opening up, and driving high-quality development through innovation. These top-level deployments not only inject new momentum into the sustained and healthy development of China's economy but also infuse valuable certainty into the global economy.

Having deeply cultivated the Chinese market for over three decades, the Red Bull brand under TCP Group has witnessed China's steady journey of economic transformation, upgrading, and continuous opening-up. Today, in light of the solid measures outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan concerning institutional opening-up, optimizing the business environment, and improving intellectual property protection, TCP Group has gained a more profound appreciation for the stability and growth potential of the Chinese market. This has further strengthened the Group's confidence in positioning China as a core strategic market and its commitment to continuously increasing investment there.

Photo: TCP Group expands investment in China with modern Red Bull beverage production lines

Understanding the "Certainty" of the Chinese Market: From Institutional Dividends to Regional Synergy

This year's Government Work Report has made robust arrangements for steadily expanding institutional opening-up. Meanwhile, as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) enters its fifth year of implementation and with the signing of the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Protocol, the dividends of regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation continue to be unleashed. Against the backdrop of coordinated advancement in institutional opening-up and regional integration, the Chinese market is evolving from a consumer destination into a pivotal hub connecting global industrial chains and stabilizing regional production and supply chains.

As a representative of Southeast Asian enterprises participating in this year's CDF, TCP Group has deeply perceived the market opportunities brought by China's opening-up measures. Khun Saravoot Yoovidhya stated: "China possesses the profound foundation of a super-sized market and a complete industrial system. At a time when global supply chains are facing restructuring, its efficient and resilient supply chain system remains an important pillar for multinational corporations' strategic planning. It is precisely based on this certainty that TCP Group continues to invest in China from a long-term perspective, regarding it as one of the most important markets in our global strategy. As a multinational enterprise originating from Thailand and deeply rooted in China, TCP Group will continue to play its role as a bridge for China-Thailand economic and trade cooperation. In the process of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation deepening and solidifying, we will leverage our business presence in China and our regional network in ASEAN to help deepen the connectivity between the Chinese and ASEAN markets."

Committing to In-Depth Growth, Resonating with the Chinese Market 

In recent years, TCP Group has continued to ramp up its presence in China, turning its commitment to "Investing in China" into concrete actions. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, TCP Group’s cumulative investment in China has exceeded RMB 4.36 billion. Leveraging its China headquarter in Beijing as a strategic hub, the Group has integrated key resources in R&D, marketing, and supply chain. It has also established modernized Red Bull production bases in Sichuan and Guangxi, in alignment with China’s drive to develop "new quality productive forces". 

Widely recognized as a model of Sichuan-Thailand economic cooperation, TCP Group’s Red Bull Beverage (Sichuan) Production Base began operations in 2023. In 2025, two new intelligent production lines were added in the base’s second phase, successfully launching scaled-up production and marking the project’s transition into a phase of "coordinated large-scale operations". This milestone strengthens the Group’s regional supply capabilities. Meanwhile, TCP Group’s Red Bull Beverage (Guangxi) Production Base began operations in 2025. Capitalizing on its strategic location, the base serves as a key gateway connecting China with ASEAN markets, injecting fresh momentum into the expansion and upgrade of trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Photo: TCP Group’s Red Bull Beverage (Sichuan) Production Base

At the same time, TCP Group remains attuned to the evolving and diverse needs of Chinese consumers, continuously enriching its Red Bull product portfolio in China through innovation. In addition to the classic Red Bull® Vitamin Flavored Beverage and the Red Bull® Taurine Drink, the Group launched Red Bull® Vitamin Energy Drink — a "sugar-free, guilt-free" option in 2022, precisely responding to the growing health-conscious trend among consumers. In 2023, in line with the rising demand for convenience, TCP Group introduced its first bottled Red Bull product in the Chinese market — Red Bull® Energy Drink — targeting on-the-go consumption scenarios such as outdoor travel and daily commuting. Beyond beverages, TCP Group has extended its brand experience into music, lifestyle, culture, and sports. Through initiatives such as the "Very Thai" Music Festival and support for cultural events like the Thailand Festival, the Group creates immersive touchpoints that blend Thai cultural elements with Chinese consumer trends. These cross-cultural engagements help unlock new consumption potential and foster deeper emotional connections between the brand and its consumers.

Photo: TCP Group continues to support "Very Thai" Music Festival, tapping into the consumption potential of younger consumers

From regionally coordinated production capabilities to a diverse and innovative product ecosystem, TCP Group is steadily deepening its roots in the Chinese market through pragmatic action. As a new chapter begins with the 15th Five-Year Plan, the Group will continue to move forward hand-in-hand with China with a long-term commitment, serving Chinese consumers with more high-quality products and contributing to the country’s high-quality economic development as well as the sustained growth of China–Thailand economic cooperation.