Reference News Network August 23 report: The German website Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published an article titled "The Particularly Successful Aspects of Chinese Automobile Enterprises" on August 20. The following is a compilation of the content:

President Lula of Brazil and the boss of a foreign automobile company raised their arms together, smiling. The two were celebrating the launch of a new automobile factory. Lula was happy about the investment and job opportunities, while the automobile company boss hoped for a thriving business.

In the past, the person in such scenes was always the boss of a German automobile company, but this time it was Mu Feng, president of Great Wall Motors, who raised his arm with Lula.

The global expansion of China's automobile industry is proceeding at full speed. However, this momentum is not seen in the West, but rather in those countries and regions that are often improperly summarized as "the rest of the world" in the financial statements of German manufacturers.

The list of China's main car export markets clearly shows this: In the first half of this year, China exported the most cars to Mexico, followed by the UAE, Russia, and Brazil. Only two European countries, Belgium and the UK, made it into the top ten car export destinations listed by a Chinese institution.

In some regions, Chinese automobile manufacturers have already dominated the market. According to data from JMC Business Consulting in the UK, in Chile, Peru, Egypt, and Kazakhstan, Chinese manufacturers accounted for around 30% of the market share last year. European manufacturers hold only a small share in these countries. Recently, the market share of Chinese manufacturers has also risen rapidly in Israel. In Singapore, BYD replaced Toyota as the best-selling brand.

In the countries where Chinese enterprises have so far achieved success, the local car market is not very large. But together, they account for a quarter of the global market share, and the growth is significant. China has surpassed its competitor Japan to become the world's largest car exporter. Data shows that in the first seven months of this year, China's car exports reached 3.68 million units, an increase of about 13% compared to the same period last year. This number has exceeded Germany's total car exports for the entire year of 2022.

Experts expect this trend to continue. Data from Accenture shows that by 2030, the market share of Chinese automakers in South America will rise from 8% to 15%, from 10% to 18% in the Middle East and Africa, and from 3% to 17% in Southeast Asia.

The Belt and Road Initiative has connected these countries with China itself, and has built necessary ports, highways, and railways that the Chinese automobile industry can now utilize. Gu Hongdi, a senior executive of XPeng Motors, told reporters several months ago that the openness of local governments towards Chinese companies and investments is one of the factors in choosing the market. Felipe Muñoz of JMC Business Consulting said, "The Chinese are changing the market landscape, and the established automobile manufacturers lack suitable models to cope with this."

It is not that Chinese manufacturers are not interested in Europe. Gu said, "Europe is our most important electric vehicle market outside of China." However, Chinese automobile manufacturers also know that the European market is difficult to crack, not only because of geopolitical issues, but also due to Europe's unique regulations and long automotive traditions.

An European misunderstanding may be that the cars exported from China are mainly electric vehicles. In fact, the proportion of electric vehicles exported by Germany is higher than that of China.

Chinese enterprises do not rely solely on exports; they are also continuously building factories. According to media reports, there are a total of 88 automobile factories built or under construction overseas by China, with dozens more under construction. (Translated by Nie Litao)

On August 7, a roll-on/roll-off ship was docked at the wharf of the Eastern Port Management Branch of Lianyungang Port in Jiangsu Province, loading exported cars. (Xinhua News Agency photo)

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