Chongqing- At the 2025 China Auto Chongqing Summit on June 7, senior executives from global automotive suppliers convened to assess their growth in the Chinese market.
"The speed and scale of innovation in the Chinese market are influencing the global pattern," said Xu Daquan, president of Bosch China, which employs more than 35,000 people in China, half of them in R&D.
Xu Daquan, president of Bosch China. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
Earlier this year, at the Hannover Messe in April, Stefan Hartung, Chairman of the Board of Management of Robert Bosch GmbH, highlighted a significant shift in the company's approach to innovation. "Many of the hydrogen technologies showcased at this event were developed by our Chinese team, which underscores that China is no longer just a manufacturing hub but a key innovation center for us," Hartung said.
Bosch's growth in China remains strong, with the company reporting 142.8 billion yuan (approximately U.S. $19.9 billion) in sales last year, a 2.7% increase from the previous year.
This momentum is driven in part by fierce domestic competition. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), Chinese brands captured 70.1% of national passenger-car sales in October 2024, while vehicle exports surged 19.3% last year to 5.85 million units.
Marelli, a global supplier of mobility technology, is tapping into China's fast-paced innovation cycle to accelerate product development. Shen Kelei, Executive Vice President of Marelli China, explained that the company can now validate new products within just 90 days, thanks to the rapid feedback loop in the Chinese market.
"China is no longer just a manufacturing hub- it's our global testing ground," Shen said. With localized R&D capabilities in lighting, electronics, and thermal systems, Marelli is now exporting technologies developed in China to global markets.
For Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen AG, China is likewise the debut market. "ZF is supporting Chinese enterprises to go global through its more than 260 worldwide bases," said Renee Wang, executive vice president of ZF Group. She noted that several of ZF's core technologies —integrated braking, electric drive, and chassis control —have debuted in China, and pledged continued cooperation in achieving carbon neutrality and sustainability.
Visitors experience electric vehicles at the 2025 Chongqing International Auto Exhibition, which opened on June 7 at the Chongqing International Expo Center. (Photo/Auto Chongqing)
Executives from Chinese automakers framed the country's shift from manufacturing to innovation as a national pivot. "China's auto industry is transforming from made in China to created in China," said Wang Delong, deputy general manager of JAC Group.
JAC Group's collaboration with Huawei illustrates the new paradigm. Its MAEXTRO electric vehicle, featuring Huawei's HarmonyOS cockpit, secured 2,600 orders in 72 hours. "We're transitioning from made to created in China," said Wang, showcasing JAC's 5G smart factory, where AI monitors over 26,000 real-time quality parameters, detecting flaws as small as 0.2mm.