Unleashing the Fire Horse: Mainland China’s Growing Global Imprint
What factors are driving the high levels of business confidence with mainland Chinese entrepreneurs? And what are the favoured diversification strategies and key entrepreneurial trends emerging across the market?
We spoke to just over 400 business owners in mainland China as part of a global survey of more than 3,000 entrepreneurs to understand their aspirations as the market becomes a driving force in many industries. High levels of positive sentiment driven by technology and AI, confidence in international expansion and optimism from stronger business corridors with ASEAN and MENA are some of the themes that shine through.
Discover more insights in our report on entrepreneurial growth and ambition in mainland China.
Top findings:
- Entrepreneurs in mainland China are among the most optimistic globally about their business prospects and are twice as positive about the sectors they operate in compared to the global average (43 per cent vs 26 per cent)
- Global diversification is their chief growth strategy, with international expansion the preferred route (59 per cent), ahead of investing in AI (50 per cent) – although the two are often pursued together
- Technology, especially AI development, in mainland China is the biggest confidence driver. Sixty-nine per cent cite technology or AI as the main reason for their business positivity, and advanced tech is also the leading reason international entrepreneurs want to do business in mainland China (40 per cent)
- Succession planning is an important topic in mainland China, with 70 per cent of surveyed multigenerational entrepreneurs saying they want to keep the business in the family, which is six percentage points below the global average
Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2025
Optimistic, internationally minded and highly focused on technology to drive their businesses forward. That’s what almost 3000 business owners from 15 markets told us in our annual Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report.
From diversifying wealth, to building businesses of the future, and safeguarding legacies through the generations. Our research dives deeper on the topics that matter most to wealthy entrepreneurs around the globe – what keeps them up at night and the opportunities that are inspiring them.
An Entrepreneurial Outlook on the UK
Why are entrepreneurs in the UK so optimistic? And what’s attracting entrepreneurs from other markets to expand their businesses, invest wealth or personally move there?
We spoke to over 3000 entrepreneurs, including more than 400 in the UK, about their outlook on the UK and found that technology and AI are huge drivers in both the home-grown optimism but also what’s driving interest from outside the UK. A robust legal framework, world-class education and the cultural and social activities on offer create personal and business draws. And the confidence needed to build and grow your own business runs strong for these entrepreneurs. Uncover more insights in our UK deep dive of entrepreneurial wealth and ambition.
Previous reports
Global Wealth Hubs: Drivers of diversification
Where the world’s leading entrepreneurs are looking to capture new opportunities and managing risk
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How prepared are Asian family-owned businesses for the future of their businesses and their wealth?
The sky’s the limit for entrepreneurs in the UAE
We explore three areas in relation to how entrepreneurs in the UAE are managing their wealth and business
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