Q2 Are you confident about the Chinese economy over the long run? How would you rate your confidence in the Chinese economy?

SHEN: Our long-term presence and business operations in China over the past three decades are a strong testament to our continued confidence and commitment to the market.

Early this year, the IMF anticipated China's economic growth rate in 2023 to be 5.2 percent and would contribute one-third to global economic growth. Based on first-half statistics released by the State Council, China's GDP grew 5.5 percent year-on-year in H1, and the upturn in China's economic performance has laid a solid foundation for realizing its expected goals of economic and social development for the whole year.

In the face of complex international headwinds, China's economy has shown strong resilience. The fundamentals for long-term development in the Chinese market remain unchanged, despite various challenges along with development opportunities.

FU: There are three pillars underlying China's economic growth — an open market and sound policies, as well as enormous and pioneering market demand. The business environment in China is welcoming to foreign companies and the government has announced numerous policies to attract foreign investment and create a level playing field for us. Moreover, China is a robust market, always eager for innovations in leading-edge and future-proof products and services, which has guided us to prioritize our agenda.

KHAOU: China is establishing a pattern of comprehensive opening-up to the outside world, which brings new opportunities to the world. Dassault Systemes has full confidence in the long-term development of the Chinese market and is particularly optimistic about the resilience of China's industrial chain, consumer growth potential and sustained opening-up.

An increasingly business-friendly environment, a resilient economy and a large domestic market all provide strong confidence for multinational enterprises to develop in China.

Driven by high-quality development, trends such as green transformation, digital economy and intelligence have provided new momentum for enterprise development. We expect that China will further drive the digital transformation of the industrial chain and contribute to facilitating global economic recovery.

HERZBERG: I am confident in the long-term prospects of the Chinese economy. China is not just one of the largest markets globally — it is a hub for innovation, particularly in groundbreaking areas like electric vehicles, batteries and alternative energy sources.

Several positive factors contribute to China's remarkable economic development. The country's focus on sustainability, energy efficiency and achieving its net-zero goals has created an environment conducive to Aveva's solutions, which promotes industrial intelligence and sustainability.

Additionally, China's recognition of data as an asset and the emphasis on data utilization align with our capabilities to help customers extract maximum value from their data.

Despite market challenges, our commitment to investing in China, enhancing customer service and fostering local partnerships, underscores our confidence in China's enduring economic strength.