Honeywell’s relationship with China dates back to 1935, when the company established its first distribution office in Shanghai, marking the beginning of nearly a century of engagement with the Chinese market. Over the past 90 years, Honeywell’s development has become deeply intertwined with China’s economic growth.

Today, all of Honeywell’s business groups are present in China. With Shanghai as its China headquarters, the company has built a fully localized value chain covering innovation, R&D, manufacturing, procurement, sales, and services, according to Chen Yan, Vice President of Honeywell Intelligent Building Technology Group and General Manager for Greater China.

Morten Wierod, President and CEO of Honeywell Greater China, further emphasized the company’s strategic direction in the country. He stated that Honeywell continues to follow its “East for East” strategy, strengthening long-term cooperation with Chinese enterprises while further increasing investment in local R&D and technology deployment. The company is also expanding collaboration across upstream and downstream ecosystems, enabling Chinese innovation to go global while leveraging global expertise to better serve China’s development.

Founded in 1885 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Honeywell is a multinational technology company with operations spanning aerospace, building technologies, energy and sustainability solutions, and industrial automation.

Honeywell’s presence in China began in 1935 with its first Shanghai office. In 1972, during U.S. President Richard Nixon’s visit to China, Honeywell’s UOP division was selected as the only company in the refining and petrochemical sector among ten recommended U.S. enterprises supporting China’s modernization efforts. In 1988, Honeywell became one of the first multinational companies to establish a representative office in Beijing.

In 1989, Honeywell UOP and Shanghai Huayi Group formed Shanghai UOP Molecular Sieve Co., Ltd., marking the company’s first joint venture in China. Later, Honeywell continued expanding partnerships with major Chinese enterprises including Sinopec, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNEC), and AVIC Xi’an Flight Automatic Control.

In the early 21st century, Honeywell significantly accelerated its China strategy. In 2003, all of its business groups were formally established in China, advancing the “East for East” localization strategy. In 2004, Honeywell established its China R&D Center in Zhangjiang, Shanghai.

According to Chen Yan, the core of the “East for East” strategy is not traditional localization or simple adaptation of overseas products. Instead, Chinese teams lead the entire process—from design and procurement to manufacturing—based on local market needs and customer requirements, ensuring all products comply with Chinese standards and regulations.

At the recently concluded 8th China International Import Expo, Honeywell launched eight new products tailored specifically to the Chinese market, covering semiconductors, industrial combustion, industrial automation, smart buildings, and battery safety.

In the smart building sector, Honeywell has also established collaborations with Lhasa St. Regis Hotel, Zhongji Lianhe, Shanghai Zhangjiang Group, as well as local universities and property management companies. For the Lhasa St. Regis Resort, located in a high-altitude environment, Honeywell is developing a customized low-carbon smart building upgrade solution.

“These partnerships fully reflect the ‘East for East’ strategy. Through localized innovation, we work with partners to build smarter, safer, and more sustainable building environments,” Chen Yan said.

This strategy has delivered strong results. Today, Honeywell has established a comprehensive local innovation system in China. For example, within its Intelligent Building Technology Group, the company operates R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, and Tianjin, as well as manufacturing sites in Xi’an, Tianjin, and Guangzhou.

Chen Yan revealed that more than half of the products sold in China are now locally developed, locally innovated, and locally manufactured, accounting for over 50% of total sales revenue.