0302 GMT - Chinese electric-vehicle market has shifted from being a growth and profitability opportunity to serving primarily as a hub for R&D, stress testing and exports, says Natixis analysts in a note. This has made maintaining a presence in China more challenging, yet still essential for surviving the EV transition, they say. EU and U.S. regulators have only limited room to push back, given that their domestic automakers are as exposed as their Chinese peers to trade restrictions, they say. A transfer of intellectual property and the development of partnerships appear to be the best long-term strategies for both legacy western automakers and Chinese EV makers seeking global scale, whether through capacity sharing, joint product development, or the use of common supply and distribution chains, they add.