Nearly 60% of Chinese supply chain executives say that they're planning to increase their number of suppliers and diversify their sourcing in 2026.
According to a survey of 292 Chinese supply chain and logistics executives from DP World, diversifying sourcing was the most popular strategic change for 2026 at 58%, followed by near-shoring at 38%, friend-shoring at 36%, and boosting inventories at 32%. That has China's supply chain leaders looking to prioritize a "more layered approach to resilience," by bringing on more suppliers and increasing route options to get better regional flexibility and account for changes in demand.
“China’s next trade advantage will come from resilience and adaptability, not just scale," said DP World Asia Pacific CEO Glen Hilton.
Respondents also pointed to advances in technology as a leading priority, with 50% identifying AI as their top growth driver over the next three years. Another 44% cited wider digitalization, while 43% cited growing demand from new markets and consumers. Respondents said that those technologies will play a key role in helping them coordinate more diverse supplier networks and expand into new markets.
The combination of supplier diversification, AI adoption and expansion into new markets suggests many Chinese companies are focusing on long-term competitiveness despite ongoing trade uncertainty. Taken together, the report suggests that Chinese companies are looking to spread risk across more suppliers and markets, while using technology to help manage that added complexity.
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