HUANGSHAN, China — The 2025 RCEP Local Government and Sister City Cooperation Forum opened in Huangshan, Anhui Province on June 5, bringing together government representatives, business leaders and experts from RCEP member countries under the theme "Regional Parternership for Common Development." Anhui Heli Co., Ltd., China's leading industrial vehicle manufacturer, marked its third consecutive year at the forum by announcing a landmark international expansion — the establishment of its first overseas manufacturing facility in Thailand.

Green Innovation Takes Center Stage

At the forum exhibition area, Anhui Heli showcased its latest achievements in green technology, premium manufacturing and intelligent systems. The company's G2 Series lithium battery counterbalanced forklift took the spotlight, earning high praise from attendees for its exceptional performance and operational efficiency. The model successfully combines compact structure with optimal layout design while delivering enhanced operator comfort and environmental performance that rivals traditional internal combustion forklifts.

The company's display also featured demonstration models of its G2, G3, and H4 lithium-electric series, along with its i-series intelligent forklifts, offering a comprehensive view of its technological capabilities and product portfolio in the new energy industrial vehicle sector. These products not only demonstrate Heli's commitment to sustainable development but also showcase the innovative achievements of Chinese manufacturing in intelligent transformation and upgrading.

Historic Breakthrough in Overseas Manufacturing

A signing ceremony during the forum's opening session marked a pivotal moment in Anhui Heli's internationalization journey. The company formally signed a cooperation agreement with Thailand's SMP Company to establish Heli's first global overseas manufacturing facility through a joint venture in Thailand. This strategic move represents not only a milestone in the company's development history but also exemplifies how Chinese industrial vehicle enterprises are deeply integrating into RCEP regional supply chains.

The establishment of the Thailand manufacturing base will significantly enhance Anhui Heli's localized manufacturing capabilities. By establishing a production facility in this key Southeast Asian market, Heli will be better positioned to serve RCEP regional customers, shorten supply chains, improve market responsiveness, while creating local employment opportunities and promoting technology transfer and industrial upgrading.

Digital Technology Empowers Regional Supply Chain Cooperation

During the RCEP Member Countries and Yangtze River Delta Business Youth Dialogue held on the afternoon of June 5, Zhou Jun, General Manager of Anhui Heli Co., Ltd., shared insights on how digital technology can strengthen regional supply chain cooperation among RCEP member countries.

Zhou noted that under the RCEP framework, cooperation patterns in the industrial vehicle sector are undergoing profound transformation. Traditional "trade relationships" are evolving into "digital ecosystem partnerships," with supply chain resilience transcending geographical limitations to achieve closer collaborative development. He emphasized that digital transformation has not only changed product design, production and service models, but more importantly, has created new cooperation opportunities and development spaces for regional enterprises.

As China's leading industrial vehicle enterprise, Anhui Heli is actively embracing digital and intelligent development trends. Zhou expressed that Heli looks forward to joining hands with numerous enterprises in the RCEP family to embark on a digital journey together, develop intelligent markets collectively, and pursue regional development jointly. Through technological and model innovation, the company aims to inject new momentum into high-quality regional economic development, promote the upgrading of free trade in the Asia-Pacific region, and achieve mutual benefit and shared prosperity.

Continued Deepening of Global Layout

Anhui Heli's internationalization strategy follows a "1 China headquarters + N overseas centers + X global teams" marketing model. Through years of careful planning and steady advancement, the company has established a comprehensive sales and service network in major global markets. The landing of the Thailand manufacturing facility marks the evolution of the company's international strategy from market development to deep localization, creating a complete global layout system covering "R&D-production-sales" across the entire value chain.

This strategic upgrade not only enhances Anhui Heli's competitiveness in international markets but, more importantly, strengthens its ability to serve global customers. By establishing manufacturing bases in target markets, the company can better understand and meet local customer needs, provide more timely and professional products and services, while effectively responding to changes in the international trade environment and ensuring supply chain stability and sustainability.

Looking ahead, Anhui Heli will continue to deepen RCEP regional cooperation, fully leveraging the policy dividends and market opportunities brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement. Through continuous technological innovation, product upgrades and service optimization, the company will steadily enhance its brand influence and market share in the global industrial vehicle market, contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to regional economic integration and global supply chain optimization.