Chery Redefines Global Strategy: Shifting from Exporter to Localized Chinese Brand

On April 11, at the 2026 High-Level Forum on Intelligent and Electric Vehicle Development, Wang Lang, Vice President of Chery Automobile, delivered a speech on the high-quality globalization of China's automotive industry. He noted that China’s auto exports are currently undergoing a historic inflection point, shifting from mere trade expansion to structural ascendancy. Wang stated that in the era of intelligent electric vehicles, the core of industrial competition has moved beyond traditional internal combustion engine components like engines and transmissions to new domains such as electronic-electrical architecture, software, and advanced materials. Chinese automakers, leveraging full-stack in-house R&D and technological integration capabilities, have established highly efficient vehicle manufacturing systems. Going global is no longer a short-term profit-driven choice but an inevitable path toward moving up the global value chain. He emphasized that Chinese automakers must undergo an identity transformation—from being “Chinese companies operating overseas” to becoming “locally rooted companies with Chinese DNA”—to navigate trade barriers and achieve sustainable growth. To this end, Chery has outlined five strategic directions for globalization: 1) Advancing panoramic manufacturing by localizing Chinese production capacity and technology overseas to enhance supply chain resilience; 2) Exporting the entire industrial chain, shifting from whole-vehicle exports to comprehensive industrial-chain output; 3) Transitioning from price-performance competition to value-based competition centered on technology and quality; 4) Strengthening overseas compliance governance to adapt to the new normal of trade frictions; and 5) Leveraging national-level support systems to secure systematic backing in areas such as standard-setting, data regulation, export credit insurance, and logistics. At the operational level, Chery will shift from a trade-oriented export model to a truly globalized operational model. It will adopt a “China-led R&D, globally coordinated” approach, build a supply chain that integrates regional circulation with localized sourcing, and replicate its integrated “vehicle + battery + network + cloud” ecosystem in overseas markets—establishing a comprehensive framework to ensure high-quality globalization. In conclusion, Wang highlighted that the key to China’s high-quality automotive globalization over the next decade lies in building three core capabilities: establishing globally recognized brand premium power, creating a globally integrated operational system, and deeply embedding into host countries’ industrial ecosystems.