At the New Energy Vehicle Global Cooperation and Development Forum (GNEV2026), held in Shanghai from August 19 to 21 and hosted by the China EV100 International, CHERY AUTO Vice President Wang Lang shared his insights on the future of the automotive industry's global expansion.

Wang noted that in the recent phase, China's automotive sector has leveraged continuous technological innovation, a complete industrial system, and efficient manufacturing capabilities to successfully address the challenge of "going out," showcasing the speed, efficiency, and competitiveness of Chinese automobiles to the world. However, he argued that globalization will not stop at merely entering markets with products. The globalization that holds long-term value is whether a company can integrate into the local economic and social operating systems, continuously serve local users, and grow together with the local industry.

He believes the benchmark for measuring automotive globalization capabilities will shift from "how many markets have been entered" to "whether a company can operate long-term within those markets." This implies that China's automotive industry must accomplish three key transitions: "going in," which means entering local user groups, distribution channels, and the industrial ecosystem; "moving up," which involves enhancing product quality, brand image, and pricing power; and "taking root," which requires establishing stable organizational structures, service networks, supply chains, and governance systems. Only by completing these three transitions can the globalization of China's automotive industry evolve from market expansion to long-term operations, and from periodic growth to sustainable, high-quality development.

Wang emphasized that true globalization is not measured by the number of countries a company enters, but by its ability to create value continuously within those markets. He proposed that continuous value creation should be assessed from three dimensions: creating value for users, integrating into the local industry, and building the capacity for sustainable operations.

Wang systematically elaborated on four fundamental capabilities that support long-term operations. First, the capability for local customization. Products must not just be adapted to local conditions but should originate from local needs. Given the vast differences in energy structures, infrastructure, road conditions, climate, consumer purchasing power, and industrial policies across markets, new energy vehicles cannot rely on a single product or one technology roadmap to cover all markets. Second, the capability for compliant operations. Compliance is not the final gate but the first blueprint of a product. Third, the capability for full-lifecycle service. Automotive exports are not just about delivering vehicles; they involve responsibility and trust throughout the entire user lifecycle. Fourth, the capability for organizational and governance effectiveness. As globalization reaches a certain stage, the biggest bottleneck often shifts from products to organization and governance.

Wang pointed out that no single company can independently build all overseas capabilities. Global cooperation in the automotive industry requires establishing new principles for industrial collaboration. He stated that sharing is not about abandoning competition but about lowering common costs, and collaboration is not about weakening corporate distinctiveness but about avoiding low-level redundant construction and internal friction. On this basis, efforts should also be made to promote mutual recognition of standards, data, and testing certifications, gradually reducing the need for repeated verification of the same product, the same data set, or the same test in different markets, thereby improving the efficiency of global cooperation across the industry.

Wang concluded that the ultimate endgame for automotive globalization is becoming part of the local industry. Moving from product exports to local symbiosis essentially entails three transformations: shifting from product trade to long-term operations, from single-point advantages to systemic capabilities, and from independent corporate actions to collaborative industrial ecosystems. These three paths ultimately converge on three key concepts: local value, industrial collaboration, and global capability. Gaining market recognition through local value creation, building a long-term foundation through industrial collaboration, and ensuring sustainable operations through global capability—these three elements support each other, enabling companies to integrate locally while maintaining global efficiency, and to achieve growth while managing risk boundaries.

Wang concluded by stating that true globalization is not about selling more products to the world, but about continuously creating user value, industrial value, and social value across more markets. Transitioning from product exports to local symbiosis is not only an upgrade in the global operational approach of Chinese automotive companies, but it can also serve as a new pathway for deepening cooperation and shared development within the global automotive industry.