Hengtong

Hengtong, also known as Hengtong Group, is a Chinese industrial brand and business group focused on power transmission, optical communications and related cable infrastructure. Founded in 1991 by Cui Genliang, the group developed from a regional Chinese cable manufacturer into a large international supplier serving telecommunications operators, power utilities, infrastructure contractors and industrial customers. Its principal activities include the manufacture of optical fiber, optical-fiber cable, power cable and associated network products and systems. The group is headquartered in Wujiang District of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Its corporate structure includes numerous subsidiaries, with the reference material describing approximately 70 subsidiaries across manufacturing, technology and investment activities. Hengtong's best-known publicly traded vehicle is Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., Ltd., which has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since 2003 under ticker 600487. The Hengtong brand, however, represents a broader group of businesses rather than only the listed company. Hengtong's growth has been tied to the expansion of broadband networks, data communications, electric-power infrastructure and global connectivity. Its product portfolio spans optical-fiber preforms, optical fiber, fiber-optic cables, copper and power cables, submarine communications infrastructure and related engineering capabilities. The group has pursued international expansion through joint ventures and overseas manufacturing. In 2010 it established Jiangsu OFS Hengtong Optical Technology Co. with OFS, the American subsidiary of Furukawa Electric, to produce optical-fiber preforms. In 2012 it announced a Brazilian joint venture with Brascopper, with Hengtong holding a majority stake, to manufacture fiber-optic cable and support expansion in Brazil and the wider Latin American market. Hengtong has also participated in the strategically sensitive submarine-cable sector. It acquired a 51 percent interest in Huawei Marine Networks, a business associated with Global Marine Systems and Huawei, thereby adding subsea communications-network capabilities to its portfolio. The transaction attracted attention because Huawei-related businesses were subject to United States sanctions and export-control restrictions, although the available reference material does not establish that Hengtong itself was found liable for a separate violation. The group's public identity combines industrial modernization, technological self-reliance and international expansion. Hengtong describes its business mission in terms of serving society and contributing to social development. It was also among the early businesses in its home province to establish an internal Communist Party branch, reflecting the political and organizational context of major Chinese private-sector industrial groups. Industry rankings have placed Hengtong among the world's largest wire and cable manufacturers. A 2017 market ranking cited in the reference material placed it seventh globally and as the only Chinese producer in that ranking's top ten. In 2025, World Brand Lab ranked Hengtong number 386 in its list of the world's 500 most influential brands.

Hengtong was established in 1991 in Jiangsu, China, under the leadership of founder Cui Genliang. It developed during a period in which China's telecommunications, electricity and industrial infrastructure were expanding rapidly. Cable manufacturing gave the group an entry point into both domestic network construction and the broader modernization of power and communications systems. The group subsequently broadened its activities from conventional cable production into optical communications and associated technologies. Its portfolio came to include optical fiber, optical-fiber preforms, fiber-optic cable and power cable, allowing Hengtong to participate in both telecommunications and electricity markets. The company also developed a large group structure consisting of numerous subsidiaries. Hengtong's public materials and the cited reference describe approximately 70 subsidiaries, indicating a diversified operating model rather than a single-factory manufacturing business. In 2003, Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., Ltd. was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The listing provided a public financing and governance platform for a major part of Hengtong's operations, while the Hengtong Group continued to encompass a wider set of companies and activities. Hengtong therefore became both a corporate group brand and an associated listed-company identity. International cooperation became a notable part of the group's development. In 2010, Hengtong and OFS, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Furukawa Electric, established Jiangsu OFS Hengtong Optical Technology Co. The venture focused on optical-fiber preforms, an upstream material used in optical-fiber production. The partnership connected Hengtong's manufacturing base with international technical and commercial capabilities. In 2012, Hengtong announced a joint venture with Brazilian cable producer Brascopper. The planned manufacturing facility in Mato Grosso do Sul was intended to support the group's expansion in Brazil and other Latin American markets. Hengtong was to hold 51 percent of the venture, giving it majority ownership while retaining a local industrial partner. This initiative illustrates the group's strategy of combining overseas production with regional market access rather than relying solely on exports from China. Hengtong later expanded into submarine communications through its acquisition of a 51 percent interest in Huawei Marine Networks. Huawei Marine Networks had been associated with Global Marine Systems of the United Kingdom and Huawei. The transaction added subsea cable-network capabilities to Hengtong's existing terrestrial optical-communications portfolio. It also placed the business in a more sensitive regulatory environment because Huawei-related operations were subject to United States sanctions and export controls. The available reference material identifies the sanctions context but does not provide enough information to conclude that Hengtong was itself the subject of a separate enforcement finding. Hengtong's corporate culture reflects both private-enterprise management and China's political environment. It was among the first businesses in its province to establish a Communist Party branch inside the organization. Founder Cui Genliang expressed the view that communism represented a productive force, and the group has described its mission using language centered on serving the people and contributing to society. By the late 2010s, Hengtong was recognized as one of the world's major wire and cable producers. A 2017 industry ranking cited in the reference material placed it seventh globally and made it the only Chinese cable manufacturer in the ranking's top ten. Another cited report identified Hengtong as having the strongest revenue growth among the companies covered in a 2008–2012 assessment of Chinese businesses with global potential. In 2025, World Brand Lab placed Hengtong at number 386 in its list of the world's 500 most influential brands. The group remains active in power, optical communications and infrastructure-related manufacturing, although the supplied reference material does not provide a complete current breakdown of its subsidiaries, leadership or geographic revenue.

• 2025

  World Brand Lab ranking

  [1]Hengtongen.wikipedia.org

  World Brand Lab ranked Hengtong 386th among the world's 500 most influential brands.

• 2017

  Placed among leading global cable producers

  [1]Hengtongen.wikipedia.org

  A cited industry ranking placed Hengtong seventh among global wire and cable manufacturers.

• 2012

  Brazilian manufacturing joint venture announced

  [1]Hengtongen.wikipedia.org

  Hengtong announced a majority-owned joint venture with Brascopper to manufacture fiber-optic cable in Mato Grosso do Sul.

• 2010

  Optical-fiber preform joint venture with OFS

  [1]Hengtongen.wikipedia.org

  Hengtong and OFS established Jiangsu OFS Hengtong Optical Technology to manufacture optical-fiber preforms.

• 2003

  Shanghai Stock Exchange listing

  [1]Hengtongen.wikipedia.org

  Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., Ltd., a major listed vehicle associated with the group, was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

• 1991

  Hengtong founded

  [1]Hengtongen.wikipedia.org

  Cui Genliang founded Hengtong in Jiangsu, China, beginning the group's development as a cable manufacturer.

A large Chinese industrial and technology group positioned around power transmission, optical communications, cable manufacturing and global network infrastructure.

• Telecommunications cable

  Optical-fiber cable

  Optical-fiber cable is a central Hengtong product area. These cables support broadband, telecommunications and data-network deployment, connecting the group's optical-fiber manufacturing capabilities with operator and infrastructure projects. Hengtong's international expansion has also used fiber-optic cable manufacturing as a route into regional markets such as Brazil and Latin America.

• Optical communications components

  Optical fiber and optical-fiber preforms

  Hengtong produces optical fiber and upstream optical-fiber preforms used to make fiber. The 2010 joint venture with OFS specifically expanded the group's preform manufacturing capabilities, giving Hengtong a position further upstream in the optical-communications supply chain.

• Electrical infrastructure

  Power cables

  Power cables are another core Hengtong business, serving electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure. The product area complements the group's telecommunications activities and supports its positioning as a broad cable and network-infrastructure manufacturer rather than a specialist solely focused on optical communications.

• Subsea telecommunications

  Submarine communications infrastructure

  Through its majority investment in Huawei Marine Networks, Hengtong expanded into submarine communications networks and related subsea cable capabilities. This business extends the group's terrestrial cable portfolio into long-distance international connectivity infrastructure.

• Huawei Marine Networks stake acquisition amid U.S. sanctions on Huawei

  Source

Read more

• 2012

  Expand fiber-cable manufacturing in BrazilStrategy

  Background

  Hengtong aimed to establish a production base closer to customers in Brazil and the wider Latin American region.

  Action taken

  The group announced a joint venture with Brascopper in Mato Grosso do Sul, with Hengtong holding a 51 percent stake.

  Aftermath

  The decision represented an overseas manufacturing and regionalization strategy. The supplied material does not document the facility's later performance.

  Source

• 2010

  Create optical-fiber preform joint venture with OFSM&A

  Background

  Hengtong sought to strengthen its optical-communications supply chain and manufacturing technology through cooperation with OFS, a Furukawa Electric subsidiary.

  Action taken

  Hengtong and OFS established Jiangsu OFS Hengtong Optical Technology Co. to manufacture optical-fiber preforms.

  Aftermath

  The venture expanded Hengtong's role in optical-fiber production beyond finished cable products. The supplied sources do not provide later operating or financial results.

  Source

• Acquire majority interest in Huawei Marine NetworksM&A

  Background

  Hengtong pursued expansion into submarine communications infrastructure. The transaction occurred in a regulatory environment affected by United States sanctions concerning Huawei-related businesses.

  Action taken

  Hengtong acquired a 51 percent interest in Huawei Marine Networks.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition broadened Hengtong's portfolio into subsea network infrastructure. The supplied reference does not specify the transaction date, price or subsequent ownership structure.

  Source

1. 1Hengtongen.wikipedia.org