The 2026 Fortune Global 500 list, released on July 28, 2026, features the world's top corporations. The combined revenue of all listed companies has surpassed $43.1 trillion, accounting for more than one-third of the global GDP. The minimum sales revenue required to enter the list has risen from $322 billion to $332 billion, reflecting increasingly fierce competition.
A total of 122 Chinese companies have secured a place on the list, ranking second only to the United States. Focusing on Anhui Province, two companies have entered the Global 500. Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., participating in the evaluation as a listed entity for the first time after its Hong Kong IPO last year, ranks 383rd. Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Holdings Co., Ltd. ranks 436th, climbing 15 positions from the previous year.
One company drives a "car" business globally, while the other solidifies a "copper" industry. These two manufacturing enterprises, based in different cities within Anhui and operating in distinct sectors, form the province's two main forces competing on the global industrial stage.
What is the most noteworthy aspect of Chery's listing?
For Chery, the ranking itself is less significant than the speed and efficiency behind it. In terms of scale, on July 25, 2026, Chery's global cumulative sales officially surpassed 20 million vehicles. From zero to 20 million vehicles, Chery's 29-year entrepreneurial journey has witnessed the upward trajectory of China's automotive innovation and development, while also exploring a globalization path defined as "In China, for the World." In the first half of 2026, Chery exported a cumulative total of 943,800 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 71.5%. This has set new monthly export records for Chinese automobiles for four consecutive months, with a "Chery-made" vehicle exported overseas every 17 seconds on average.
Regarding efficiency, among the 50 companies with the highest Return on Equity (ROE), Chery ranks 30th globally with an ROE exceeding 36%. This figure means that for every 100 yuan of shareholder equity invested, the company generates 36 yuan in profit in one year. What is Chery doing right? The answer lies in its technology. In recent years, Chery has continuously increased its R&D investment in forward-looking areas such as electrification, connectivity, intelligence, and shared mobility. The company has achieved breakthroughs in powertrain, intelligent chassis, battery systems, intelligent driving, and flying vehicles. It has launched over ten globally leading technologies, including the Kunpeng Tianqing ultra-high thermal efficiency engine, the Feiyu EMB chassis, and the Falcon Intelligent Driving large model. These innovations are rapidly transforming into product competitiveness, effectively supporting the improvement of business capabilities and fueling its ascent on the list.
How does Tongling Nonferrous demonstrate its stability?
If Chery's story is about speed, Tongling Nonferrous's story is about stability. Since its first appearance in 2019, the company has been listed on the Fortune Global 500 for eight consecutive years. Operating in a traditional industry, Tongling Nonferrous faces significant challenges, including tightening copper concentrate supply and low processing fees. How has it improved the quality and efficiency of its development? In recent years, the company has focused on innovation-led growth, strengthening, extending, and supplementing its core industrial chain. This has driven coordinated development across its three main segments: mining, smelting, and copper processing, maintaining operational quality and profitability within a challenging environment.
On an operational level, Tongling Nonferrous has fortified its industrial chain foundation. It has promoted the orderly release of capacity from domestic and international mines, continuously optimized its smelting layout, and completed the construction and commissioning of major projects like the Jinxin Copper Company branch. In the field of copper-based new materials, the company has achieved large-scale supply of electronic-grade ultrafine metal powders, building a resilient development foundation through a complete and robust industrial chain. Innovation is a key driver for revitalizing traditional industries. With a focus on intelligent, green, and integrated development, Tongling Nonferrous has invested over 400 million yuan since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period to build smart factories and smart mines. It also emphasizes collaborative research between industry, academia, and research institutions, holding 2,690 authorized patents and maintaining a technology conversion rate of over 90%. By improving internal management efficiency, the company has used reform to stimulate endogenous growth, allowing it to maintain stable operations even during periods of low processing fees.
How can Anhui Province cultivate more global leaders?
These two companies, with their distinct growth paths, reflect the distinct characteristics of Anhui's industries. One path prioritizes speed, while the other emphasizes stability. Their stories demonstrate that whether a company chooses speed or stability, the ultimate pass to the Global 500 lies in doing one thing exceptionally well. Anhui Province has maintained a presence of two companies on this list for eight years, a relatively small number, indicating significant room for growth in the depth of its corporate echelon. The Fortune Global 500 measures revenue scale, but it also reflects a company's global operational capabilities, influence in the industrial chain, and long-term sustainable profitability. While rankings may fluctuate, industrial development is continuous. How can Anhui Province cultivate more leading enterprises with global influence, encouraging more high-quality companies to expand their revenue scale and enhance their global presence to compete for a spot on the Global 500? Looking at the province's industrial landscape, Anhui boasts several high-growth sectors, including photovoltaic equipment, artificial intelligence, high-end equipment, and new materials. Leading companies like Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd., iFLYTEK Co., Ltd., and Conch Group Co., Ltd. are already highly competitive in their respective fields. The expectation is that more leading enterprises, like Chery and Tongling Nonferrous, will emerge in the future, daring to compete globally and bringing more "Made in Anhui" products to the center of the world's industrial stage.