This photo shows the production ceremony for its 9 millionth vehicle at US carmaker Tesla"s Gigafactory in Shanghai, on December 30, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Tesla

　　Several foreign companies have unveiled plans to expand their operations in China and step up investment, underscoring growing confidence in the market, with companies said that they remain bullish on China"s long-term prospects.

　　Tesla plans to step up investment in artificial intelligence (AI) software and hardware as well as the energy sector in the Chinese market in 2026, as the company continues to localize its technologies, Tesla Vice President Grace Tao Lin told a media briefing in Beijing recently, according to the information the company shared with the Global Times on Sunday.

　　The US electric vehicle (EV) maker has already set up a local training center in China to support the localization and fine-tuning of its intelligent assisted driving systems, Tao said.

　　The move aligns with Tesla"s broader global shift in technology strategy, under which the company is no longer positioning itself solely as an EV maker but as a technology enterprise centered on AI, robotics and energy, according to Tao.

　　Construction of the comprehensive campus for the China headquarters of German optics giant ZEISS began on Saturday in the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone in Shanghai, local media outlet the Shanghai Observer reported on Saturday.

　　Covering a planned area of more than 50,000 square meters, the project is widely seen as ZEISS" largest single infrastructure investment since it entered the Chinese market nearly 70 years ago, the report said.