Is 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝘀?

Last week, for the third year running, EAC International Consulting Business Strategy Director Addie Wei had the privilege of attending the Chongqing Auto Forum - widely regarded as China’s most candid and influential automotive event. This year’s theme was fitting: “𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘳𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

Key takeaways:

1️⃣ 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗥”
This year, Chinese OEMs made their stance clear: unsustainable competition must stop.
- Li Shufu (Geely) called out "unacceptable" price wars.
- Chery and Changan warned of long-term damage to the supply base.
Within days, OEMs shifted to 60-day supplier payment terms—a rare, coordinated move to stabilize the ecosystem.
Is this a turning point for "PRICE WAR?" Let's see.

2️⃣ 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗘𝗠𝘀: 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮
- Mercedes-Benz and Audi doubled down with new local investments.
- Changan Mazda revealed the new strategy "Developed in China, Deployed Globally".
Chinese supply chain players are powering this shift. Chip firms, Tier 1s, and tech startups are no longer just “localizers” -they’re now global enablers.

3️⃣ “𝗜𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹”: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝟭 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁
This year marked a real turning point. Top suppliers like Bosch, ZF, Valeo, Continental, and Marelli shared a striking trend:
👉 𝟲𝟬–𝟳𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁?
As one executive put it: “If you can survive in China - this most intense arena - you can win anywhere.”

🔑 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 Addie's 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀?
China today is not just a “market to defend.” It’s a:
• Value Accelerator – Competing here builds global readiness.
• Tech and R&D Highland – Innovations shaped by Chinese users scale globally
• Powerbase – Build global advantage through China’s mature supply ecosystem.

🤝 As always, the best part was reconnecting:
• Dr. Koo (Korean Auto & Mobility Association ), Dr. Zou (North American Chinese Society of Automotive Engineers), Dr. Ferdi (ASEAN EV Association)
• Mr. Karan Chaudhary & Mr. Surendra Upreti (Nepal Automobile Dealers Association)
• Media KOLs Ms. Chen Yao (Sina Auto) & Mr. Ding Lei (Tencent Auto)

We look forward to partnering with industry leaders as the automotive sector continues to evolve. Stay tuned for more insights and updates from the EAC team on the latest trends shaping global mobility.