Hosen Capital's Chris Wang at FBIF 2025: M&A Strategies of Consumer Giants and Global Value Chain Reshaping

Shanghai, May 8-10 — The FBIF 2025 Food and Beverage Innovation Forum, one of the most influential industry events in the Asia-Pacific region, took place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. Themed “Nurture Present, Venture Forward,” the forum brought together leading experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by businesses navigating both heightened competition in established markets and the exploration of new growth areas.

At the panel titled “From ‘Buying the World’ to ‘Integrating into the World’: M&A as a Breakthrough and the Reshaping of the Global Value Chain for Consumer Giants,” Chris Wang, Founding Partner of Hosen Capital, shared his insights on globalization strategies and outbound M&A. Established in 2010, Hosen Capital specializes in the food and consumer sectors and boasts a 15-year track record of executing mid-market and cross-border acquisitions.

From left to right: Jason Yu, General Manager of CTR Market Research;Mac El-Omari, Co-founder of 6E Capital, former Vice Chairman of Investment Banking for JPMorgan Asia Pacific, and Non-Executive Director of China Feihe; Curt Ferguson, Managing Partner of Ventech China; Chris Wang, Founding Partner of Hosen Capital; Chunwu Zhao, President of China Resources Beer.

Chris Wang highlighted the differing strategic approaches to M&A between Western and Chinese enterprises. While Western companies pursue acquisitions to leverage capital, brand, and technology spillovers, Chinese enterprises—rooted in a strong manufacturing base—tend to focus on capacity expansion and securing supply chains. He noted that as China’s economy and its corporations continue to mature, the future will likely see more Chinese brands and technologies going global.

Addressing post-acquisition integration and talent retention challenges, Chris Wang emphasized the importance of overcoming “soft barriers.” Economic and cultural differences inevitably create perception gaps, which demand humility, openness, and acceptance to bridge. He stated that successful integration hinges on respecting the partner’s vision and achievements, fostering partnerships based on fiduciary responsibility rather than capital alone.

In the face of shifting geopolitical and trade landscapes, Chris Wang acknowledged that it will take time for Chinese companies to transition from “manufacturing outbound” to “capital outbound.” For now, optimizing global resource allocation through M&A remains the most practical approach. He pointed out that country risks, currency fluctuations, and other external uncertainties are unavoidable challenges in cross-border M&A, with success dependent on identifying and proactively managing these risks.

In conclusion, Chris Wang summarized his guiding principle for Chinese companies venturing abroad:

“Do not approach with cultural superiority, but always with cultural confidence — to enable others’ success, appreciate others’ strengths, and seek shared prosperity.”