European auto leaders embrace partnerships with Chinese EV makers at Paris Motor Show

Automotive industry leaders at the ongoing 2026 Paris Motor Show have strongly embraced collaboration with Chinese automakers, pointing to joint vehicle development and technology sharing as vital drivers for the global market. Inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron, the 91st edition of the Paris Auto Show, which runs through Sunday, brings together more than 60 automakers, including about 20 Chinese brands, primarily specializing in electric cars.

Alain Favey, CEO of Peugeot, a French automobile brand, praised his company's cooperation with its Chinese partner and announced the launch of a new model in China next year.

"We have a very close collaboration with Dongfeng, our partner in Wuhan for many years now, and we are currently developing new models with Dongfeng through our joint venture. The first of these models will be launched next year on the Chinese market, and so we are very proud to be able to develop a model that will feature Chinese technology and a Chinese platform from Dongfeng, combined with Peugeot's style, design, and grip performance. We are very proud to have this partnership and to be able to launch this vehicle in China next year," said Favey.

Valeo, a leading global automotive technology company, which has been operating in China for 33 years, hopes to help Chinese automakers, particularly in the electric vehicle sector, establish a presence in Europe.

"We've been working in China with Chinese and Western automakers for 33 years. We've always supported the automakers we work with - foreign, international, and European automakers - who have wanted to develop their business in China, wherever they go in the world. Well, now, quite logically, when Chinese automakers want to manufacture cars in Europe, when they want to source parts in Europe for their production, specifically for their electric vehicles, we are fully prepared to support them with Valeo's technologies," said Francois Marion, director of Communications and Sustainable Development at Valeo.

At this year's auto show, Chinese electric cars attracted many European visitors. Guillaume Lecombe, who is a fan of Chinese electric cars, believes that European and Chinese automakers have several areas of cooperation to explore in order to better meet the expectations of European consumers.

"I think that when it comes to cooperation between European and Chinese brands, there are opportunities to work together. We see this, for example, in design or interior styling, because it's true that we don't necessarily have the same standards in Europe and China. So there's potential there. There's also the art of living aspect. It's true that what impresses me today is that Chinese brands are coming out with cars that feel like an extension of your living room. So you feel very comfortable. There's plenty of space. That's actually something that's very important to Europeans as well - everything related to the interior, quality, comfort, and the overall experience. It's something Europeans can discuss with Chinese brands," said Lecombe.

European auto leaders embrace partnerships with Chinese EV makers at Paris Motor Show

A Pakistani scholar has stressed the importance of dialogue in resolving the conflict between the United States and Iran, as the two sides remain deadlocked over access to the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program.

In recent months, Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran, pushing diplomacy as a path to ending the conflict.

In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Rabia Akhtar, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lahore, affirmed Pakistan's role as a mediator but stressed that whether an agreement is reached and implemented ultimately rests with the two countries.

"Pakistan's role is valuable because keeping a channel open gives the parties somewhere to take those agreements. A mediator can clarify a proposal, explore a sequence of reciprocal steps, and help each side understand what the other might accept. But a mediator cannot make the commitments on their behalf. Ultimately, Washington and Tehran have to decide that an agreement serves their interests and that they are prepared to implement it," she said.

Throughout the conflict, she noted, leaders have publicly deployed strong rhetoric against the other side. Akhtar called on both parties to withdraw from such practices, as they make reaching an agreement all the more difficult.

"There's also the domestic political problem. If you have told your public that anything short of the other side's surrender will be a defeat, you have made your own diplomacy much harder. Leaders need room to explain that a negotiated outcome can protect national interest. And quiet diplomacy helps because it allows options to be explored before every proposal becomes a public test of resolve," she said.

As the need for dialogue over conflict grows, Akhtar highlighted the potential role of China's Global Security Initiative (GSI), which focuses on addressing the world's growing security challenges through cooperation, dialogue, and shared responsibility, and offers a framework for managing crises.

"So for me, the GSI's emphasis on dialogue is relevant to what happens between crises as well as during them. So we need communication that survives political disagreements and commitments, that gives both sides a reason to exercise restraint. We cannot simply wait for trust to appear before we start talking. We have to use dialogue to establish whether commitments can be tested and whether restraint can be reciprocated," the scholar said.

Dialogue essential to resolving US-Iran deadlock: Pakistani scholar