China to work with other economies to build sustainable, equitable automotive ecosystem: official

China will work with other economies to build a sustainable and equitable automotive ecosystem within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), a senior official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Tuesday.

Addressing the 43rd APEC Automotive Dialogue in Shanghai, Wang Weiming, director of the Equipment Industry Department I under the MIIT, emphasized that China remains committed to contributing its expertise and innovation to the global automotive industry's ongoing transformation.

He highlighted China's recent advancements in key automotive technologies, noting that semi-solid-state batteries have begun deployment on vehicles, while ultra-fast charging systems capable of restoring 80 percent of battery capacity within 15 minutes have entered mass production, he said.

To date, China has opened more than 57,000 kilometers of public roads for intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) testing, with pilot programs for autonomous driving and electrification expanding across multiple cities, according to the official.

On the regulatory front, China has issued 237 sets of national and industry standards for ICVs, with an additional 103 sets of standards currently under development. China has also taken a leading role in shaping global norms, contributing to over 60 international regulations covering electric vehicle safety, autonomous driving systems and related fields, according to Wang.

He noted that the new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, particularly with breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies, has opened new space for the transformation and upgrading of the global automotive sector.

Looking ahead, Wang said, China will continue to deepen international cooperation, uphold open development, and foster a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment.

"We support Chinese and foreign enterprises in deepening practical cooperation in the fields of technology, standards, investment and trade. Meanwhile, we are working to strengthen coordination and mutual recognition in the fields of standards and regulations with other economies. Leveraging platforms such as APEC, we aim to promote technological exchanges, human resources development cooperation, and the global sharing of innovation outcomes," Wang said.

The APEC Automotive Dialogue is APEC's primary public-private forum on automotive policy and emerging vehicle technologies. It convenes government officials, industry leaders and academic experts from across the Asia-Pacific region to exchange views and develop practical, forward-looking policy approaches.

China to work with other economies to build sustainable, equitable automotive ecosystem: official

China remains a major source of revenue and a key supply-chain base for European companies, according to a new survey by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

Nearly one in four chamber members said revenue generated in China accounted for more than a quarter of their global revenue, the chamber's Business Confidence Survey 2026 showed.

The survey also highlighted China's continuing role in companies' sourcing strategies. Ninety-four percent of respondents said the market was important to their procurement operations, citing its advantages in delivery speed, reliability and quality.

China's manufacturing efficiency remains a major factor. Seventy-five percent of surveyed companies said their production efficiency in China was higher than in other parts of the world, supported by what the chamber described as an efficient and highly cost-competitive supply-chain system.

The findings help explain why European executives have continued to visit China this year, looking beyond established business centers to assess opportunities in regional industrial hubs.

Adam Dunnett, secretary general of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, has visited six Chinese cities in the first half of this year. He recently led a delegation of about 120 EU companies to Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China, where they examined opportunities in artificial intelligence, energy storage and manufacturing.

"Guangxi, with the new canal that they've built, has now become the gateway to ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. I was in Chongqing earlier this year as well -- [It has] very strong motorcycle industry, computer industry, semiconductor industry. So, in China, there's pockets of, you know, industrial strength in different cities and provinces. And, yeah, you have to go out there and explore it to understand what's happening," Dunnett said.

Mathias Boyer, chair of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China, said companies needed to increase investment in China-based research and development to keep pace with local innovation.

"My reading of the numbers, and also when I talk to companies, is that China is still an extremely important basis for supply. You need to invest more in China -- in China R and D -- to be on par with Chinese innovation. The Chinese authorities' [decision] to implement this policy of visa-free travel to China [is important], because I think it really is easy for leadership from headquarters to come to China to see innovation," Boyer said.

China remains central to European firms' supply chains, survey finds