HZ Infohas launched the "Strategic Planning for the New Era: Voices from the Regions," with the  first stop in Shunde — the "Hometown of Chinese Coatings." As the real estate market enters a stock-oriented era and infrastructure development shifts toward a new normal of quality and efficiency improvement, how will this production base, endowed with a deep industrial heritage, make its strategic moves at the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan?

Zhang Mengdong, General Secretaryof the Shunde Coatings Chamber of Commerce, accepted an exclusive interview with HZ Info. Starting with the actual data from the first quarter, to a deep interpretation of the spirit of the Two Sessions, and finally to the Chamber's five highly innovative key initiatives for 2026, Zhang outlined a vision for high-quality development in the Shunde coatings industry, characterized by "governance based on the rule of law, guidance through standardization, and advancement on two parallel tracks."

Zhang Mengdong, General Secretaryof the Shunde Coatings Chamber of Commerce

When asked about the resumption of work in the Shunde productionafter the Spring Festival, Zhang provided a candid and realistic set of data: "The resumption rate is 100%, but the production rate is around 50%, with overall output down 20-30% compared to the same period last year." Facing this seemingly "cooling" data, Zhang showed no anxiety. He analyzed that this reflects not only the cyclical factors of the macroeconomy but is also an inevitable result of a proactive structural adjustment within the Shunde coatings industry. "We anticipated this trend as early as the end of last year. A decline in output does not mean a decline in strength; it indicates we are moving away from a path of pure scale expansion. Leading companies are leveraging digital transformation to reduce costs and improve efficiency, mid-tier companies are seeking differentiated market spaces in niche segments, and small and micro-enterprises lacking core competitiveness are indeed feeling the chill." Zhang emphasized that at this critical juncture at the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan, "stability" does not mean standing still, but rather laying the groundwork for higher-quality "progress."

When discussing the benefits of the Two Sessions policies for the industry, Zhang remarked, "From a macro perspective, the country will continue to have large-scale infrastructure projects providing a safety net. But from a micro perspective, the biggest policy dividend of the '15th Five-Year Plan' is shifting from 'incremental housing construction' to 'stock housing maintenance.'"

Zhang elaborated that this shift introduces entirely new requirements for the coatings industry. It's no longer just about providing a bucket of paint, but offering green coating solutions based on the entire lifecycle of a building. "This brings us back to the concept of 'sustainability' that Shunde has always emphasized. Whether it's energy-saving retrofits for old renovation projects or intelligent coatings for age-friendly communities, coating products need not only to 'look good' but also to be 'durable' and 'green.'"

He also pointed out that the Two Sessions bring not only positive benefits but also pressures for the industry to standardize. "With the use of green building materials being incorporated into legal requirements, the space for profit based on low-cost, non-standard products will completely disappear. The challenge at the market level is that all our enterprises must embark on the right path of compliance and standardization."

What defines the industrial character of Shunde? Zhang didn't simply repeat phrases like "furniture paint DNA" or "daring to venture and strive." Instead, he offered a more profound answer: "Building on the existing foundation, we need to deeply explore new market directions to form a regionally unique differentiated competitive advantage."

Regarding the industrial changes he most anticipates by the end of 2026, Zhang expressed his hope: to see the Shunde coatings industry achieve parallel and steady development in both functional coatings and decorative coatings.

This is not an empty statement. On the decorative coatings front, Shunde is meeting consumers' desire for "beauty" through artistic paints and stone-like coatings. On the functional coatings front, responding to the call from Two Sessions representatives for "localization of automotive paints" and the need to strengthen the industrial chain in industrial coatings, Shunde enterprises are quietly making strides, penetrating into high-value-added sectors.

The start of 2026 for the Shunde coatings industry presents a thought-provoking signal: when output is no longer surging, what else can a production area rely on to win the future? Zhang's answer lies in the rule of law and standards. From a pioneering commercial mediation system to the detailed implementation of delivery standards for artistic paints, Shunde is undertaking a difficult but correct endeavor—using institutional innovation to counter excessive competition and rebuilding trust through regulatory frameworks. This evolution from "daring to venture and strive" to "order and compliance" may well be the necessary path for China's manufacturing industry to transition from large to strong.