In the eyes of industry insiders, "plastic" and "sujiao" (a term often used in Greater China) refer to essentially the same thing. Historically,
factories in mainland China were typically designated as "Plastic Factories," whereas their counterparts in Hong Kong and Taiwan were referred to as "Sujiao Companies." To facilitate communication with foreign partners, many foreign-invested enterprises within the mainland have also largely adopted the "Sujiao Co., Ltd." designation. It is important not to interpret this term literally as a combination of "plastic" and "rubber"; rather, it reflects a regional linguistic difference-much like the variations in spoken language between Hong Kong/Taiwan and the mainland.
Plastics find extremely widespread application, serving as indispensable components in home appliances, automobiles, mobile phones, personal computers (PCs), medical devices, and lighting fixtures. As my country's economy has achieved sustained and stable growth, downstream sectors-such as home appliances, automotive, mobile communications, PCs, and medical devices-have benefited from a favorable external environment to realize rapid development; this growth in downstream industries has, in turn, further stimulated demand for plastic components. In 2010, China's plastic component manufacturing industry comprised 2,286 enterprises, representing a year-on-year increase of 24.54%; sales revenue reached 106.125 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 26.38%.
During the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period (2011–2015), downstream sectors such as automotive, home appliances, consumer electronics, and medical devices in China are expected to maintain their rapid growth trajectory. Consequently, the demand for plastic components within these industries will continue to expand, while simultaneously exhibiting a trend toward higher-end and precision-engineered products. It is projected that during this period, the total sales volume of China's plastic component manufacturing industry will reach 170 billion RMB. According to research by China Investment Consulting (CIC), the industry's capacity for technological innovation has been further enhanced, evidenced by a steady increase in the number of corporate R&D centers. Furthermore, the industry's structural composition-encompassing industrial, corporate, and product structures-is undergoing continuous optimization, leading to a gradual upgrade in industrial concentration and efficiency. The industry's overall competitive advantages have been further consolidated and strengthened; the technological gap separating China from developed nations is steadily narrowing, with certain segments having already attained world-class advanced standards.
The industry has thus entered a critical phase of sustainable development-transitioning from merely being a "large" industry to becoming a technologically "advanced and powerful" one. Regions such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Guangdong have witnessed a booming plastic component manufacturing sector; these areas hold a leading position nationwide in terms of both the number of enterprises and the scale of production and sales, resulting in a relatively high degree of regional concentration within the industry. Concurrently, domestic enterprises have achieved rapid growth, and the competitive strength of industry-leading firms has been further bolstered. However, as companies increasingly recognize the potential of the domestic market and ramp up their investment efforts, the entry of multinational corporations-such as Nypro, Hi-P International, and Anellotech-has intensified competition within the industry.