2026 China Brand Forum Held in Xiong’an
The 2026 China Brand Forum convened on June 17 in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province, bringing together senior government officials, industry leaders, and academics to chart the future of Chinese brand development against the backdrop of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). Organized by People’s Daily, the forum marked its 12th consecutive year and was held in Xiong’an for the second time, underscoring the new area’s growing role as a national hub for innovation and high-quality development.
Context and Significance
The China Brand Forum was established in 2015 following President Xi Jinping’s call to accelerate the transformation from “Made in China” to “Created in China,” from “Chinese speed” to “Chinese quality,” and from “Chinese products” to “Chinese brands.” Since its inception, the forum has grown into a premier platform for brand-building dialogue, guided by the Central Propaganda Department and supported by key ministries including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
This year’s edition carried particular weight as it directly linked brand strategy to the 15th Five-Year Plan, a critical period for China’s modernization drive. The forum’s theme — “The 15th Five-Year Plan | Brand Leadership, Moving Forward with Innovation” — signaled that brand development is being positioned as a national strategic priority for the next phase of economic transformation.
Key Developments
NPC Vice Chairman Losang Jamcan attended the forum and delivered a keynote address, underscoring the high-level political importance attached to brand building. According to Xinhua News Agency, participants from central and state organs, local governments, and leading enterprises engaged in wide-ranging discussions on how brands can drive innovation and economic growth.
Forum participants emphasized that “brands are important carriers of enterprise core competitiveness and a comprehensive reflection of national economic strength, innovation capability, and cultural influence.” They further noted that strengthening brand building is “an inherent requirement for developing new quality productive forces and advancing Chinese-style modernization” — a direct reference to the concept of “new quality productive forces” championed by President Xi.
As reported by China News Service, the forum featured a main plenary alongside two parallel sub-forums: a Financial High-Quality Development Report Forum and a Promoting High-Quality Education Development Theme Seminar. Organizers also arranged a themed media interview activity focused on Xiong’an’s high-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
Analysis and Implications
The choice of Xiong’an as the venue for the second consecutive year is strategically significant. Established in April 2017 as a state-level new area roughly 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, Xiong’an is a centerpiece of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development strategy. In March 2026, President Xi visited Xiong’an and presided over a symposium on advancing high-quality construction, declaring that the area’s development had “achieved major phased results.” The State Council further approved the upgrade of Xiong’an High-Tech Zone to a national-level high-tech zone in February 2026.
By hosting the forum in Xiong’an, organizers reinforced the area’s symbolic role as a model for innovation-driven growth. The integration of brand strategy with the 15th Five-Year Plan agenda suggests that policy support for brand development will intensify in the coming years, with Chinese brands expected to play an increasingly prominent role in global markets.
The inclusion of parallel sub-forums on finance and education indicates a holistic approach to brand building that extends beyond marketing to encompass financial services and talent development — a recognition that sustainable brand strength requires systemic support across multiple sectors.
What’s Next
As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the signals from this year’s forum point to a more coordinated national effort to elevate Chinese brands on the global stage. The emphasis on innovation-driven development, industrial upgrading, and alignment with the “new quality productive forces” framework suggests that brand policy will be increasingly integrated with broader economic strategy. Observers will be watching for concrete policy measures and corporate initiatives that follow from the forum’s discussions, particularly in the areas of financial support for brand building and education reform to cultivate brand talent.
The forum’s sustained high-level attendance and expanding scope — from a single-day event to a multi-track program with specialized sub-forums — reflect the growing strategic importance of brand development in China’s economic planning. With the 15th Five-Year Plan now underway, the intersection of brand strategy, technological innovation, and industrial policy will be a key area to monitor in the years ahead.