The 4th Meeting of the 8th Board of Directors of China International Contractors Association (CHINCA) and the 2025 Annual Conference on International Engineering Contracting were held in Zhengzhou from December 4 to 5, 2025. Wang Bo, Assistant to the General Manager of SINOMACH, and Party Secretary and Chairman of CMEC Group, attended both the board meeting and the annual conference. He was invited to deliver a report titled “On the Proposal for Deliberation of the Draft ‘CHINCA Development Plan Outline (2026–2030)’” to the assembly, and also delivered a keynote speech at the industry conference entitled “Current Trends and Strategic Responses in China’s International Engineering Contracting Sector.”

Drawing on the guiding principles of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, CHINCA’s annual work report, and recent policy updates and briefings from the competent departments of the Ministry of Commerce, Wang Bo provided an in-depth analysis—grounded in SINOMACH’s international engineering practice—of five emerging trends facing the global engineering contracting industry amid profound shifts in the international order and major-power competition:

First, heightened global political and economic volatility is significantly amplifying the sector’s exposure to macroeconomic risks, demanding continuously enhanced risk prevention and control capabilities.

Second, narrowing profit margins across the industry, coupled with rising project complexity and execution challenges, are placing higher demands on commercial negotiation, technical solutions, cost management, and compliance oversight.

Third, significant imbalances persist in market distribution and contribution levels among enterprises, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen focus on key markets and core projects.

Fourth, the industry has entered a low-margin era, where learning costs—once implicit—are now explicit, substantially increasing the risk of losses. Companies must firmly adopt project success as the central objective and allocate resources with precision and efficiency.

Fifth, traditional growth drivers are evolving, requiring enterprises to cultivate new sources of momentum tailored to their specific capabilities and strategic positioning.

In response to these trends and challenges, Wang Bo proposed four strategic recommendations:

· First, integrate “investment in assets” with “investment in people,” prioritizing the development of specialized talent teams to lay a solid foundation for sustainable growth.

· Second, remain steadfastly client-centered, recognizing the profound transformation in client profiles and expectations, and enhance the value of professional services to boost client satisfaction.

· Third, holistically coordinate project development and execution to improve overall operational efficiency through dialectical unity.

· Fourth, adapt strategies to local conditions by building new quality productive forces in the industry through strategic positioning in emerging markets, niche segments, and optimized resource allocation—thereby fostering new competitive advantages.

During the conference, Wang Bo held in-depth discussions with senior officials from relevant government authorities, CHINCA, China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) Henan Branch, and executives from leading enterprises in the sector.

Representatives from CMEC Group Headquarters (China Machinery Engineering Corporation, CMEC), CAMCE, and CNEEC also participated in the meetings and related events.