BYD commits to providing premium, eco-friendly vehicles for Europe

BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li has reaffirmed the company's commitment to delivering affordable technology and high-quality vehicles that support the green transition in European markets.

The pledge comes as the Chinese automaker launched its fully electric model Sealion 7 this week in the United Kingdom, marking another milestone in its European expansion. Despite rising trade tensions and evolving regulatory landscapes, BYD continues to expand its global footprint, cementing its position as one of the world's top electric vehicle (EV) sellers.

In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Li voiced strong opposition to mounting tariffs driven by protectionism, warning that such practices would ultimately harm local consumers and auto parts manufacturers.

"I think any protection and adding tariff is short term and [for] the long term, [it] will not benefit consumers, will not benefit the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) too. I think we are [here] to focus on bringing affordable technology to everybody and bringing the best service to everybody," said the vice president.

Li also highlighted BYD's ongoing efforts to boost local production in overseas markets, including the establishment of a manufacturing facility in Hungary.

"But at the same time, BYD [has] started opening our manufacturing side in Hungary. By the end of this year, our local production will start," she said.

BYD has already established a strong foothold in markets like South America, the Middle East, and Africa. To succeed in Europe, Li emphasized the company's focus on delivering premium products that align with the region's environmental awareness.

"We just bring more premium products to Europe. Actually in Europe, everybody really [has] a very good sense to protect the environment, so they need a better car and more reliable electric car to help them to achieve their dream to protect the environment," she said.

Li also expressed concerns over the European Union's announcement earlier this month to relax emission rules for combustion engine vehicles, arguing that it could slow the pace of electrification and harm local suppliers due to the uncertainty caused by constant policy shifts.

"Every single government, they should have a sustainable future [in mind], because if you swing back and forth, then you will damage the local OEM, you will damage the OEM for their future investment. In the long-term scope, it will harm this kind of companies for their competitiveness. That will be the challenge," she noted.

Looking ahead, Li outlined BYD's ambitious vision for the next decade.

"We want to build the most admired brand globally, to make BYD [recognized] internationally, a well-known brand in every single region. It's our task. Next ten years, if you're walking on the street, you ask 'who is BYD?'. I hope everybody will say, 'wow, they are the best technology company,'" she said.

BYD commits to providing premium, eco-friendly vehicles for Europe

Geoeconomic confrontation is the leading short-term global threat in 2026, the World Economic Forum (WEF) warned in its Global Risks Report 2026 released on Wednesday ahead of its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

The report ranks geoeconomic confrontation as the top risk for 2026, followed by interstate conflict, extreme weather, societal polarization, and misinformation and disinformation. It also identifies geoeconomic confrontation as the most severe risk over the next two years.

"I think if there is to be one key takeaway from the report, it's that we are entering an age of competition and this new competitive order is then shaping current global risks, but it is also shaping and to some extent hindering our ability to actually cope with them. That's really the key takeaway. If we take a look at, the number one risk both for 2026 and two years out, it's dual economic confrontation. But then if we look at the risks 10 years out. It's really the climate and environment related risks. All of these things require global cooperation and that's where we're seeing a big backsliding in this new age of competition," said Saadia Zahidi, managing director of the WEF.

Economic risks showed the largest increase in the two-year outlook, with concerns over economic downturns, inflation, rising debt and potential asset bubbles intensifying amid geoeconomic tensions, the report said.

Environmental risks remain the most severe overall, led by extreme weather, biodiversity loss and critical changes to Earth systems. The report noted that three-quarters of respondents expect a turbulent environmental outlook.

Risks related to adverse outcomes of artificial intelligence rose sharply, climbing from 30th in the two-year horizon to fifth in the 10-year outlook, reflecting concerns over impacts on labor markets, society and security.

The 21st edition of the report draws on views from more than 1,300 experts, policymakers and industry leaders.

The WEF's annual meeting will be held in Davos from Jan 19 to 23 and draw nearly 3,000 guests from more than 130 countries and regions to participate.

"So overall, we are starting to see this shift away from what have traditionally been the ways in which people have been able to cooperate. Now, that is not to say that any of this is a foregone conclusion. And I think that's a really important message around the risks report. None of this is set in stone. All of this is in the hands of leaders. Whether they choose to cooperate and invest in resilience or whether they do not. So that's really what we'll be focused on next week in Davos bringing leaders together under this overall theme of 'a spirit of dialogue' and trying to reestablish relationships, cooperation and trust. That's the fundamental," said Zahidi.

WEF warns of rising geoeconomic risks in 2026