On September 20, 2026, the 2026 Wire and Cable Industry Conference and the 12th China International Wire & Cable Exhibition grandly opened at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Co-organized by Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co., Ltd. and the Wire & Cable Branch of the China Electrical Equipment Industry Association, the event was themed "Ninety Years of a Flourishing Wire and Cable Industry: Continuing the Glory and Embarking on a New Journey." The series of events will run through September 24, aiming to review the 90-year journey of China's wire and cable industry, anchor the new development pattern for the 15th Five-Year Plan, and jointly draw a new blueprint for the high-quality development of the sector.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of China's wire and cable industry, making the review of the industry's development history a core segment of the conference. In 1936, the preparation for the Central Electrical Equipment Factory was widely regarded as a pivotal milestone marking the birth of China's wire and cable industry. Over the past nine decades, the industry has advanced alongside the nation's industrialization, navigating the stages of entrepreneurship amidst war, foundational construction, reform and expansion, and opening-up and going global. In his address, Jiang Bin, Secretary of the Party Committee, Director, and General Manager of Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co., Ltd., stated that 90 years is not only a milestone but also a new starting point. He called on the entire industry to pay tribute to its predecessors, carry forward their spirit, and march bravely towards the goal of becoming a wire and cable powerhouse, shouldering the mission of the new era through high-quality development. A special report titled "Passing the Torch for Ninety Years, Forging the Soul of the Cable Industry: The Development History of China's Wire and Cable Industry" was also presented at the conference, highlighting that China has now established a comprehensive cable industry system, with certain technological fields reaching internationally advanced levels.
As a significant achievement marking the 90th anniversary, the book "History of China's Wire and Cable Industry: A 90-Year Review and a Centennial Vision" was officially released at the conference. The compilation was launched in 2024 and took over two years to complete. Organized and implemented jointly by relevant institutions, the book is divided into the "Industry Chapter," "Enterprise Chapter," and "Figure Chapter (Electronic Version)," systematically documenting the development trajectory of China's wire and cable industry. Currently, China's wire and cable industry has established a complete industrial system with a market scale exceeding 1.8 trillion RMB. It boasts over 10,000 market entities, and its export volume surpasses its imports, making it one of the hallmark industries of "Made in China." With 2026 marking the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the industry is striving to accurately position itself amid a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation.
During the thematic report session focusing on pooling efforts for transformation and anchoring the new pattern of the 15th Five-Year Plan, multiple industry leaders shared cutting-edge insights. Luo Junjie, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of the China Machinery Industry Federation, pointed out that intelligent manufacturing has entered the third paradigm of a new generation of AI-driven intelligent manufacturing. He emphasized that the industry must adhere to a development direction that is high-end, intelligent, green, and integrated, promoting whole-chain system integration with AI two-way integration as the main thread. Huang Guofei, Secretary-General of the Wire & Cable Branch of the China Electrical Equipment Industry Association and Executive Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co., Ltd., noted that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the long-term positive fundamentals of the domestic economy remain unchanged, providing a stable environment for the transformation of the cable industry. Qian Jianlin, Vice Chairman of the Board of Hengtong Group Co., Ltd., observed that after 90 years of development, the domestic cable industry has transitioned from catching up to running alongside global peers. He urged enterprises to break free from vicious low-price competition, continuously invest in R&D, leverage AI empowerment, and build a global innovation ecosystem.
The journey towards becoming a wire and cable powerhouse is inseparable from the support of highly skilled talents. At the conference, the results of the "Guolan Testing Cup" Wire and Cable Inspector Series Competition were announced. This year's competition reached a record scale, with a team event added for the first time, focusing on cutting-edge skill modules such as intelligent inspection. Subsequently, the flag-handing ceremony for the 5th National Wire and Cable Manufacturing Worker (Extrusion Operator) Vocational Skills Competition in 2027 was held. This national Category II competition, hailed as the "Skills Olympics" of the cable industry, was officially launched and is scheduled to hold its finals in Guangdong in October 2027. In addition, the evaluation results for the Most Competitive Enterprises in China's Wire and Cable Industry in 2026 were released simultaneously. The Top 100 ranking revealed an industry landscape characterized by "stable leadership by industry giants and breakthroughs by specialized and innovative enterprises," with Jiangsu and Guangdong forming differentiated industrial cluster advantages.
As an integral component of the conference, the 12th China International Wire & Cable Exhibition was held concurrently at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The exhibition was grand in scale, covering an exhibition area of over 80,000 square meters and gathering more than 1,100 high-quality enterprises from around the world to showcase the latest technologies, products, and solutions in the wire and cable sectors. During the exhibition, over 50 supporting events, including thematic seminars and technology launches, were intensively held within the venue. The topics delved into multiple cutting-edge directions, such as new material R&D, intelligent manufacturing upgrades, green factory construction, and the international layout of the industrial chain. This provided an efficient platform for technical exchange and trade cooperation for global industry peers, effectively promoting collaborative innovation and common development across the global wire and cable industry.