China Cables: With Diversified Core Advantages, Becoming the First Choice for Industries Worldwide
Feb 10, 2026
Today, as the global industrialization and electrification processes continue to accelerate, cables, known as the "blood vessels" and "nerves" of the national economy, run through all core fields such as power transmission, communication interconnection, new energy development, and infrastructure construction. After decades of iteration and upgrading, China's cable industry has steadily moved from a "major manufacturing country" to a "strong manufacturing country". Relying on a complete industrial system, leading technological strength, strict quality control, ultra-high cost performance, and in-depth overseas layout, it has gradually broken the long-term monopoly of Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea, and become the preferred partner for many countries and industries around the world. From photovoltaic power stations in Southeast Asia to desert power grids in the Middle East, from underwater projects in Europe to infrastructure construction sites in Africa, Chinese cables can be seen all over the world, interpreting the global competitiveness of "Made in China" with strong strength.
I. Complete Industrial Clusters, Global Leading Production Capacity Supply, Laying a Solid Foundation for Being the First Choice
The core advantage of China's cable industry first stems from its unparalleled industrial scale and complete industrial chain layout, which provides stable and sufficient product supply for various industries around the world, and becomes the core confidence for foreign customers to choose Chinese cables. In 2024, the market size of China's cable industry reached 1.35 trillion yuan, accounting for 35% of the global market share. It is estimated that the output will exceed 45 million kilometers in 2025, accounting for 42% of the global supply, ranking first in the world for many consecutive years. This scale advantage is not a simple superposition of output, but is built on the support of comprehensive industrial clusters and the improvement of the entire industrial chain supporting facilities.
Five core cable industrial clusters have been formed in China, each with clear division of labor and complementary advantages, supporting half of China's cable exports. Guanlin Town, Yixing, Jiangsu, known as the "China Cable City", has an output value exceeding 150 billion yuan, gathering leading enterprises such as Far East and Jiangnan. It focuses on high-end products such as ultra-high voltage cables and submarine cables, directly supplying major projects in Europe and the Middle East, with a market share of more than 15%.
Ningjin, Hebei, as the largest cable cluster in northern China, has more than 2,300 enterprises forming a complete industrial chain, focusing on medium and low voltage cross-linked cables. With cost advantages, it is highly competitive in the African and Central Asian markets, accounting for nearly one-third of the national market share. Gaogou Town, Wuwei, Anhui, specializes in special cables, with leading technologies in nuclear power, fire prevention and high-temperature resistant cables, and its products are exported to high-end equipment manufacturing industries in Europe and the United States.
Qidu Town, Wujiang, Jiangsu, focuses on communication optical cables, keeping up with the global 5G construction pace, and its products are exported to more than 100 countries and regions. Dongguan and Shenzhen in Guangdong focus on electronic wire harnesses and automotive cables, relying on the foreign trade advantages of the Pearl River Delta to quickly connect with global orders, with the largest export scale in the country.
At the same time, China's cable industry has built a complete industrial chain from upstream raw materials to downstream terminal applications. Upstream core raw materials such as copper and aluminum are guaranteed by leading enterprises such as Jiangxi Copper Corporation and Aluminum Corporation of China. Supporting industries such as polymer materials and auxiliary materials are also becoming more mature, with the localization rate of PVC sheath materials exceeding 90%, effectively reducing raw material dependence and production costs.
This industrial ecology of "integration of production, education, research and application" can not only realize large-scale production of full-category products from ordinary civil wires to ultra-high voltage transmission lines, submarine cables and special cables, but also quickly respond to personalized needs of different industries and scenarios around the world. It ensures order delivery efficiency and provides stable and continuous product supply for foreign industries, laying a solid industrial foundation for Chinese cables to become the global first choice.
In 2024, China's cable export volume reached 2.77 million tons, and the export volume increased by 24.2% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2025, maintaining double-digit growth. This demonstrates the global market's high recognition of China's cable supply capacity.
II. Technological Innovation Breakthroughs, High-end Products in Line with International Standards, Breaking Monopoly Barriers
If industrial scale is the foundation, then technological innovation is the core competitiveness of Chinese cables to establish themselves in the world and become the first choice abroad. In recent years, China's cable industry has continuously increased R&D investment, broken through a series of core technological bottlenecks, and achieved a transformation from "low-end OEM" to "high-end leadership". High-end products not only reach the international advanced level, but also break the long-term monopoly of European and American enterprises, becoming an important participant in the global high-end cable market.
In the field of power cables, relying on the technological accumulation of ultra-high voltage power grid construction, China has achieved leapfrog development of ultra-high voltage cables, with the localization rate increased to 65%, and has repeatedly won bids in power grid renovation projects in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Leading enterprises such as Hengtong Optoelectronics have developed submarine cables, whose market share ranks first in China and among the top in the world. They have participated in 10 global offshore wind power projects such as the Netherlands Borssele. The products can resist seawater corrosion and extreme marine environment tests, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 25%.
This has made submarine cables a new growth point for China's cable exports, completely breaking the monopoly of European and American enterprises in the field of submarine cables and enhancing the global influence of Chinese cable brands.