Exclusive Interview with Fu Yuwu: 70-Year Totem, From Following, Parallel Running to Leading

On July 13, 2026, the 70th anniversary commemoration event for the completion of New China's first automobile was grandly held in Changchun, Jilin. This is a major event in the history of the development of China's automotive industry. 70 years ago, that is on July 13, 1956, the first Jiefang CA10 truck manufactured by the First Automobile Works (predecessor of China FAW) officially went off the production line. Over 70 years, China FAW has resonated in frequency with the development of China's automotive industry, witnessed the extraordinary development process of China's automotive industry from nothing to something, from small to large, and from large to strong, and is also the pioneer, participant, and leader of the butterfly transformation of China's automotive industry system.

"The completion of the first Jiefang truck launched the magnificent journey of self-reliance, hard struggle, self-improvement, and dreaming forward for China's automotive industry." Fu Yuwu, Honorary Chairman of the China Society of Automotive Engineers and Vice Director of the China Automotive Industry Consulting Committee, said in an exclusive interview with "Automotive Panorama": "For China's automotive industry, China FAW is the cradle and the flag. China FAW's valuable entrepreneurial and innovative spirit is the wealth of China's automotive industry. This wealth has become an important force supporting the development of China's automotive industry."

Honorary Chairman of the China Society of Automotive Engineers,

Fu Yuwu, Vice Director of the China Automotive Industry Consulting Committee

China FAW adheres to the leadership of technological innovation and has made important progress in technological breakthroughs, brand upward movement, and market development. In the past six years, China FAW has focused on independent innovation, breaking through more than 1,700 key core technologies, while continuously deepening the integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation. In 2025, China FAW's total vehicle sales exceeded 3.3 million units. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China FAW's cumulative sales exceeded 16.5 million units. China FAW and automotive industry enterprises have jointly written a magnificent history of the 70-year evolution of China's automotive industry and have shouldered the historical responsibility of "raising the national brand automobile industry".

According to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers on July 9, 2026, automobile production and sales from January to June reached 14.993 million and 15.017 million units respectively. In 2025, China's automobile production and sales reached 34.531 million and 34.40 million units respectively, with annual automobile production and sales ranking first in the world for 17 consecutive years. Among them, passenger car production and sales reached 30.27 million and 30.103 million units respectively, with passenger car production and sales scale exceeding 30 million units for the first time, and the market share of passenger cars with independent brands close to 70%; commercial vehicle production and sales reached 4.261 million and 4.296 million units respectively. According to the Ministry of Public Security, as of the end of June 2026, the national automobile holdings reached 371 million units.

This is a great achievement achieved by generations of Chinese automobile people continuing to co-create. As a "Third Generation of Chinese Automobile People", Fu Yuwu was born into a mechanical family in 1945. This generation of automobile people is an important promoter of entrepreneurship and innovation on the new track of new energy. While the first generation of Chinese automobile people are the founders of New China's automotive industry, opening the great journey of China's automotive industry from nothing to something. The second generation of Chinese automobile people is shouldering the historical mission of rewriting the landscape of China's automotive industry. New era Chinese automobile people are continuing to write a new glory of China's automotive industry development. He said in an exclusive interview with "Automotive Panorama": "Because of China FAW, there is China's automotive industry. China FAW has laid the foundation for the development of China's automotive industry. Today, we still view China FAW with such cognition, because the valuable material and spiritual wealth accumulated by China FAW is the common wealth of our automotive industry."

Pioneering Entrepreneurship Era:

From Pioneer to Founder

Before the Reform and Opening Up, China's automotive industry was in the era of "pioneering" entrepreneurship and foundation laying, with China FAW playing a key role in it. In 1956, the first Jiefang CA10 truck went off the production line, ending the history that China could not manufacture automobiles; in 1958, the first sedan under China FAW was born, ending the history that China could not make sedans, of which the "Dongfeng" sedan, New China's first sedan, was successfully developed on May 12, and New China's first high-grade sedan "Hongqi" was tested on August 1. During the "Third Line Construction" period, in 1969, the Second Automobile Works (predecessor of Dongfeng Motor) broke ground in Shiyan, Hubei. From then on, the layout of China's automotive industry gradually evolved from "one branch blooming" by China FAW to the development of multiple "giants". China FAW, founded in 1953, is the veritable "Cradle of New China's Automotive Industry" and has made historical contributions to the "pioneering" and foundation laying of China's automotive industry.

Fu Yuwu and China FAW have a deep connection. After graduating from university in 1970, he was assigned to FAW Harbin Gear Factory, worked in different technical positions, and later became the Deputy Factory Director and Chief Engineer. By 1990, he was transferred to Harbin Automotive Industrial General Corporation as General Manager, etc. At China FAW, he worked for 20 years and can be called an "old FAW person". He said: "I was assigned to work at the Harbin Automotive Gear Factory under the 'FAW Trust' after graduating from university, so my career is bound up with China FAW. The first blueprint I drew was for the process of spare parts for the Jiefang CA10, which left a deep impression on me."

Actually, the process of entrepreneurship and innovation of China FAW was very difficult, but it created a miracle. Fu Yuwu said: "At that time, China's automotive industry 'lacked heavy and lacked light', and the sedan field was a blank. I witnessed the development process of China FAW from small to large, and from large to strong." China FAW's first generation of trucks Jiefang CA10 was upgraded to the second-generation truck Jiefang CA141 in July 1986, thereby ending the history of the Jiefang truck's 30-year continuous system. Over 70 years, Jiefang has undergone seven generations of product iterations, with cumulative production and sales exceeding 9.5 million units. The development of "Jiefang" is a microcosm of the takeoff of China's automotive industry. He said: "I participated in and witnessed the process of lightweight truck upgrades and heavy truck testing. At that time, China FAW established a lightweight truck headquarters, and I was also a member of the headquarters. It was very difficult to change models at that time. When the first lightweight truck really started running, it encountered many problems beyond imagination. Recalling this history, I am very moved by the development of China's automotive industry on a foundation of extreme poverty and emptiness."

Fu Yuwu talked about an experience during an exclusive interview with "Automotive Panorama". In 2016, it was just the 60th anniversary of the completion of FAW Jiefang trucks, and he was invited to participate in the special production work of the CCTV "National Memory" program. During the shooting, the director asked him to restore the process of entrepreneurship and innovation of China FAW at that time. He vividly restored the moving entrepreneurial scenes where the older generation of builders stood against the wind and snow, fought against the severe cold, accompanied steam, broke frozen soil, and rushed the schedule in the extreme cold weather of minus 30 to 40 degrees, day and night without stop, fighting on the front line. At that time, the locomotive transformed into a super "heater". Eight locomotives sprayed steam on the ground to keep heat and warmth. In this way, the workers sprayed steam while laying the ground and built the factory building with hands and shoulders. After recording was completed, the director told him: "We all cried!" He recalled: "I did not expect that, even though 60 years have passed, I was still deeply moved when I restored that difficult entrepreneurial history."

"Although the Soviet Union provided the drawings at that time, we never produced tens of thousands of parts. From factory construction to product production, we China FAW created a miracle of China's automotive industry development in three years, holding up an automotive city with hands and shoulders." Fu Yuwu stated that China FAW also trained a large number of talents for the automotive industry and laid the foundation for later output of more than 10,000 people to support the construction of the Second Automotive Works. "The entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of China FAW is amazing!"

Fu Yuwu used the four words "Earth-shaking Changes" to describe the changes of China FAW. He told an experience during an exclusive interview with "Automotive Panorama": In 1984, for sedan production, he went abroad to the United States for the first time to purchase Gleason equipment. Visiting the production lines of American car companies in Detroit, he was shocked and unimaginable when he saw the mass production line, because the annual capacity in China was only hundreds of thousands of cars that year, while the United States was millions. "I remember that Ford's axle factory had an annual capacity of 5 million at that time, which was an astronomical number for us, absolutely unimaginable. But now the world's best automobile production line is in China, we have the best processing equipment and the best test conditions, isn't this an earth-shaking change?"

New China's automobiles started with commercial vehicles, with the beginning being Jiefang CA10. In 1958, the Dongfeng sedan was produced. In 1959, the Hongqi high-grade sedan was successfully tested. Later, there were both light and heavy vehicles. Fu Yuwu said: "Now our commercial vehicle engine technology has reached a world advanced level. Looking back, in these 70 years, we automobile people have created a world miracle. Not only did commercial vehicles make substantial progress, but passenger cars are also advancing by leaps and bounds, and the development of independent brands is full of vitality. Now our passenger car Hongqi is already a national glory. The modern China FAW is the pride of our Chinese automobile people."

From the completion of the first Jiefang truck to the period before the Reform and Opening Up, for the pioneering and foundation laying path that China FAW led the development of China's automotive industry, Fu Yuwu used the three keywords "Ambitious", "Fearless of Difficulties", and "Innovation" to express.

First is "Ambitious". Fu Yuwu said: "As the cradle of New China's automotive industry, China FAW not only produces products but also cultivates many talents. Now go look at various car factories and units, all have the shadow of China FAW. China FAW held up an automotive city with its hands and held up the foundation of China's automotive industry development."

Second is "Fearless of Difficulties". Fu Yuwu said: "The spirit of fearlessness of difficulties has continued in China FAW. When Comrade Rao Bin talked about entrepreneurship in China FAW that year: 'I am willing to become a bridge, let everyone walk over my body, work together to make the sedan'. We finally solved the 'lack of heavy and light' problem. The spirit of fearlessness of difficulties has become a valuable wealth for the development of China's automotive industry."

Third is "Innovation". Fu Yuwu said: "China FAW started with entrepreneurial and innovative spirit. For example, when making light vehicles, we did not have an R&D system and process, so we gradually explored the R&D system and process through round and round practice. Ambitious to overcome difficulties, with entrepreneurial innovative spirit, this is the portrait of this generation of automobile people. They are really amazing!"

Looking back at the magnificent years of 70 years, Fu Yuwu said: "China FAW has not only solidified the industrial foundation of China's automotive industry, accumulated valuable development experience, and cultivated a large number of industry backbone talents, but also tempered and cast the spirit of striving for self-improvement that leads the industry, illuminates the road ahead, and is passed down from generation to generation, becoming a spiritual totem of Chinese automobile people who have never ceased."

Joint Venture Cooperation Era:

Joint Venture Brands from Breaking Ice to Dominating

From the Reform and Opening Up to the 2000s, China's automotive industry welcomed the era of joint venture cooperation. At that time, the state listed the automotive industry as a pillar industry for developing the national economy and decided to import sedan assembly lines. During this period, China's automotive industry set off a wave of Sino-foreign joint venture cooperation. "Market for Technology" promoted the development of China's automotive industry. In 1984, Beijing Jeep was established, becoming the first joint venture automobile company in the country; in 1985, Shanghai Volkswagen was established, Santana went off the line, becoming the first Sino-foreign joint venture sedan enterprise; in 1991, FAW-Volkswagen was established, the first Jetta A2 sedan went off the line, becoming "National Family Car", opening a new chapter in joint venture cooperation. Other joint venture brands also entered successively.

"What we laid the foundation for heavy vehicles was the comprehensive introduction of the Austrian Steyr 91 project." According to Fu Yuwu's introduction, to change the situation of "lack of heavy and light", in 1983, the China Heavy Vehicle Industrial Enterprise Joint Venture Company was established, and the Austrian Steyr heavy vehicle technology project was introduced. In 1985, the first Steyr heavy vehicle went off the line, and in 1989, the first domestic Steyr went off the line at China National Heavy Vehicle Group manufacturing general factory. He said: "At that time, we introduced heavy vehicles which was necessary. Even looking at it now, doing so was correct. In that era of 'Market for Technology', we quickly established a complete industrial system through introducing foreign capital and joint venture cooperation, but we paid the price of brand speechlessness, core technologies controlled by others, and industrial profits flowing out in large quantities."

During this period, China's automotive industry obtained rapid development. In 1992, China's automobile production broke through 1 million units for the first time, reaching 1.0617 million units. China's automotive industry system was also gradually built. This created a historic strategic opportunity for the development of joint venture brands. Fu Yuwu recalled: "Later there was Beijing Jeep, and later there were 'Three Bigs, Three Smalls, and Two Micros'. This played a major role in the development of China's passenger and commercial vehicles."

In July 1994, China promulgated the first "Automotive Industry Industrial Policy". This marked that China's automotive industry entered a new stage. It encouraged the automotive industry to use foreign capital and relax the restrictions on Sino-foreign joint venture cooperation of automobile parts; it clarified the development direction of sedans and encouraged individuals to purchase cars, etc. In 2000, national automobile production and sales broke through 2 million units for the first time. In 2001, after China joined the WTO, the automotive industry entered a new stage of comprehensive opening up to the outside world. The "Automotive Industry Industrial Policy" was stopped after 10 years of execution, and the "Automotive Industry Development Policy" began to be implemented in 2004. It determined the strategic positioning of a major automotive country, promoted the formation of a complete modern automotive industry system and a major automotive production and consumption country.

In the era of joint venture cooperation, joint venture brands went from breaking ice to gradually dominating the domestic automobile market. Through "Market for Technology", joint venture/foreign enterprises brought advanced technology, management systems, and complete supply chains, although "Market for Technology" later triggered controversy. Fu Yuwu said: "To look at it against the background of the great times, we lacked technology, capital, and experience at that time. Through introduction, digestion, and absorption, joint venture cooperation played an important role for us to understand the world and understand frontier technology, laying a very good foundation for the takeoff of China's automotive industry, so we should not deny the important contribution of joint venture cooperation to the development of China's automotive industry. But when it develops to a certain extent, new momentum is needed to support the development of the automotive industry. This momentum is our innovation and independence, otherwise we will never be strong. In this way, we can gradually step into the new era of independent innovation and overtaking on a new bend."

During this period, China FAW formed a dual-wheel drive pattern of "Joint Venture (FAW-Volkswagen, FAW Toyota) + Independent (Jiefang, Hongqi)". Among them, FAW Toyota was established in 2000, 9 years later than FAW-Volkswagen. In 2025, the sales of joint venture brands under China FAW were 2.3619 million units, maintaining the leading position in joint venture brands, and the sales of independent brands were 0.9401 million units. In particular, FAW-Volkswagen has always played a flag role, maintaining the first sales volume among joint venture car companies and the first sales volume in the domestic fuel vehicle market for a long time. In October 2025, FAW-Volkswagen welcomed the completion of the 300 millionth vehicle, becoming the first domestic passenger car enterprise to achieve this production and sales scale; achieving 1.5871 million units in annual vehicle sales. In recent years, China FAW has continued to deepen cooperation with Volkswagen Group and Toyota Motor, promoting the "Joint Venture Cooperation 2.0 New Era" of co-creation and win-win, jointly creating a new model for joint venture car companies.

For the parallel development of joint venture brands and independent brands under China FAW, Fu Yuwu said: "It is a process of mutual empowerment. China FAW firmly walks its own path. In the field of passenger cars, it was 'poor and white', China FAW opened joint ventures, but there were no joint ventures in the commercial vehicle field, because China's automobiles started with commercial vehicles, starting with Jiefang. Jiefang has developed its own advantages after decades of development and has confidence. Retain independent technology and hold the bottom line that the brand cannot be lost, maintaining strategic determination. I think this is very rational and has a deep understanding of the China automobile market."

The development logic of commercial vehicles and passenger cars is different, and China has its own commercial vehicle development roadmap. Fu Yuwu said: "It was correct that China FAW and Dongfeng did not have deep joint ventures with foreign countries in heavy vehicles and commercial vehicles. This is based on national conditions. Currently, the level of China FAW commercial vehicles is also at the forefront if placed globally. Now we master electric commercial vehicle technology, overtake on a new bend, and are in a leading position globally."

Fu Yuwu also stated that Volkswagen is an amazing enterprise that actively entered into joint ventures with China FAW at that time. Currently, the production and sales of FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen are still good. "FAW-Volkswagen has delivered and cultivated quite a number of talents for us, and there are still many places worthy of our learning today. So, our independent brands and joint venture enterprises empower each other. For example, in terms of intelligent electrification, FAW-Volkswagen is also learning from independent brands and also using Chinese engineers. Volkswagen did very wisely in this regard."

Fuel Vehicle Era:

Independent Brands from Marginal Force to Important Pole

From the late 1990s to the early 2010s, this was a typical fuel vehicle era, while China's automotive independent brands were born successively, like Great Wall, Geely, Chery, BYD, etc., and independent brands under state-owned automotive enterprises. In 2009, China's automobile production and sales broke through 10 million units for the first time, surpassing the United States and becoming the world's largest automobile production and sales market. The pattern of China's automobile market gradually opened up. With joint venture brands still dominating the market, independent brands broke through the soil with difficulty and gradually grew from a "marginal force" to an important pole of the market.

In the fuel vehicle era, independent brands grew in the cracks between joint venture/foreign brands. Fu Yuwu stated that in 1992, China's total automobile production was only 1 million units. The main problem lay in the sedan market, when private car consumption was not advocated at that time. Later, new car policies were issued, sedans entered household consumption, and at the same time, China joined the WTO, changes in internal and external environments promoted the rapid development of the automobile industry. He said: "From the late 1990s to 2000, we were preparing for flight. Starting from 2000, our automobile production and sales truly grew explosively, surpassing a country in one year. By 2009, our production and sales rank first in the world, increasing from 2 million units in 2000 to over 10 million units in 2009 in 9 years."

Thereafter, the domestic automobile market pattern was completely broken, and the proportion of independent brand sales began to surpass joint venture/foreign brands and occupy market dominance. In 2023, an important node was that the market share of independent brand passenger cars in the domestic market exceeded half for the first time. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in 2022, China brand passenger cars sold 11.766 million units, accounting for 49.9% of passenger car sales; in 2023, China brand passenger cars sold 14.596 million units, accounting for 56% of passenger car sales.

"The reason why we developed so fast, I think there are three forces: the first is the force of the market, the second is the force of innovation, and the third is the force of joining the WTO." Fu Yuwu said, "The 2009 global financial crisis, China's automotive industry went against the trend. Maybe what we did not expect is, after how many years, our exports also became number one in the world, and the development of electric vehicles can surpass fuel vehicles. But we thought of it, China's automotive industry has its own development logic."

As an important force among independent brands, China FAW firmly developed independent brands, actively planned and broke through, gradually shifting from single production orientation to market orientation and system capability construction, independent brand systems gradually grew, forming a product pattern covering passenger and commercial vehicles. Jiefang brand was born in 1956, Hongqi brand was established in 1958, Bestune brand was created in 2006. Currently, Jiefang has become a leading enterprise in the commercial vehicle field. In 2025, total vehicle sales broke through 280,000 units, among which medium and heavy truck sales were 255,000 units, and terminal share remained first in China; Hongqi actively explored the road to revival and achieved positive results. In 2025, sales broke through 460,000 units, becoming the first Chinese luxury automobile brand to break through 2 million users; Bestune sold 200,017 units in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 33%.

In recent years, China FAW has taken controlling key core technologies as the fundamental path, actively promoted high-quality development of independent brands such as Hongqi, Jiefang, Bestune, Yueyi, etc., and made solid results in brand upward movement, product renewal, and technology breakthroughs. Some innovative technology results broke foreign monopolies. For example, recently China FAW's "A Method for Antiskid Control of Power Distribution" invention patent won the China Patent Excellence Award, using hardcore innovation to run out the "acceleration" of independent four-wheel drive vehicle control technology breakthrough, breaking foreign monopolies and filling the domestic technical gap.

Fu Yuwu said: "In the fields of commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles, China FAW has always been a leader, continuously improving product technology levels, market competitiveness, and market reputation, achieving technology leadership, market leadership, and product leadership. The first Special Prize of China's Automotive Industry Science and Technology Progress Award was won by 'FAW J6', which is the core technology of China FAW heavy truck engines and the integration of vehicle technology." It is also a vivid microcosm of China FAW's continuous innovation.

Electrification Era:

Independent Brands from New Bend to Overtaking

Since the 2010s, China's automotive industry development has ushered in the electrification era, with car companies actively planning the new energy vehicle track and gradually showing an explosive growth trend. Fu Yuwu said: "In 2009, China proposed advanced automotive power and energy issues. In 2010, it was proposed that automotive technology development should achieve energy transformation. So, after 2010, we began to implement automotive energy diversification, and the curtain of electrification was opened." In 2014, the automotive industry practiced the request of "Developing new energy vehicles is the only way for China to move from a major automobile country to a strong automobile country", and electrification development accelerated. New energy vehicles gradually became an important growth point for China's automotive industry.

In 2011, China's new energy vehicle sales were less than 10,000 units. Looking at new energy vehicle production and sales, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in 2013, it was 17,533 and 17,642 units; in 2024, it was 12.888 million and 12.866 million units, production and sales broke through 10 million units for the first time; in 2025, it was 16.626 million and 16.49 million units; from January to June 2026, it was 7.438 million and 7.446 million units. As of 2025, China's new energy vehicle production and sales have ranked first in the world for 11 consecutive years, market penetration rate increased from 5.34% in 2020 to 47.9% in 2025, domestic new car penetration rate exceeded 50%; January to June 2026 penetration rate was 49.6%, among which domestic penetration rate in June exceeded 60%. According to the Ministry of Public Security, as of the end of June 2026, the national new energy vehicle holdings reached 48.97 million units, accounting for 13.19% of the total automobiles. In the domestic market, new energy vehicle sales have gradually become mainstream.

China's independent brands switched to the new energy track, rose rapidly, and the market offensive and defensive pattern showed a fundamental reversal. Looking at the past two and a half years, in 2024, China brand passenger cars sold 17.97 million units, accounting for 65.2% of passenger car sales; in 2025, China brand passenger cars sold 20.936 million units, accounting for 69.5% of passenger car sales; January to June 2026, China brand passenger cars sold 9.138 million units, accounting for 71.8% of passenger car sales, far exceeding the market share of joint venture/foreign brands. In the electrification era, China's independent brands transformed into leaders. "Market for Technology" has become a thing of the past, and China's car companies have gradually grown into technology exporters.

"The reason why our electrification transformation is so successful, market competitiveness has been improved to unprecedented levels, started with policy drive. Policy orientation played a key role in the first-mover advantage of the new energy vehicle market, and we firmly and confidently entered the new energy track. The automobile electrification transformation has played a major role in the energy structure changes in our country and national energy security, making major contributions." Fu Yuwu said, "At the same time, new forces of car making have played a 'catfish effect' on the new energy track, stirring up our intelligent connected new energy vehicle track with unprecedented activity, reviving vitality. Chinese automobile people are firm actionists, and the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation was played to the fullest in this special period. In this round of automobile industry reconstruction, we should cheer for Chinese automobile people!"

As an industry leading enterprise, China FAW has taken the initiative in this electrification transformation, writing the history of national automotive industry progress with industry enterprises together, and promoting industry sustainable development. In strategic transformation, China FAW elevated green low-carbon to core strategy, firmly implemented new energy strategy. Hongqi, Jiefang, FAW Bestune, FAW Toyota, Audi FAW, and other new energy vehicle factories and key projects were built and put into production. Underlying independent brands and joint venture brands all actively participated in this electrification revolution practice. In terms of independent brands, FAW Jiefang transformed to new energy, independently mastered "oil, gas, hydrogen, electricity, hybrid" multiple technology routes, and comprehensively built hydrogen internal combustion engine chain industrialization ability; FAW Bestune built an independently controllable "Yueying" new energy technology architecture in terms of technology and products. In terms of joint venture brands, FAW-Volkswagen anchored the "Oil and Electric Co-advancement Full Intelligence" strategy; FAW Toyota promoted the "Oil and Electric Co-advancement" strategy, practicing fuel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, pure electric, and other multiple drive routes. In terms of capacity layout, during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China FAW's added vehicle capacity exceeded 70% for new energy vehicle production.

Promoting electrification transformation, China FAW has achieved positive results. For example, its independent brand new energy vehicle sales in 2025 were 366,417 units, a year-on-year increase of 71.4%. FAW Hongqi new energy product sales in 2025 reached 149,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 29.8%; FAW Jiefang new energy model sales in 2025 were 45,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 184.3%, growing doubled for three consecutive years; FAW Bestune new energy vehicle sales in 2025 were 171,957 units, a year-on-year increase of 107%, new energy penetration rate reached 85%, sales in the first half of 2026 were 87,000 units, among which new energy vehicle sales were 72,000 units, reaching a new high. In May 2026, FAW Yueyi upgraded to an independent new energy brand. This is a key measure for China FAW to layout the mainstream new energy passenger car market.

But facing the background of electric technology route selection and independent brand rise accelerating competition, some foreign brands and joint venture brands appeared strategic wavering situations. For this, Fu Yuwu said: "First, a great change unseen in a century, regardless of which type of enterprise all face unprecedented market competition and transformation. Automobile power diversification is global, and the global automobile industry all faces reconstruction. So, to develop better in a fully competitive automobile market, no one can bypass the challenges of industrial reconstruction and transformation, this is an era proposition. Second, today do not doubt the trend of electrification and intelligence and the era challenges brought by it. If we do not go with the trend, we may be eliminated. Third, regardless of wholly-owned enterprises, joint venture enterprises, or Chinese independent enterprises, all need to empower each other on the transformation road, need to learn from each other, promote each other, and jointly build a new ecosystem for healthy automobile industry."

Intelligent Electrification Era:

From Made in China to Smart Made in China

Currently, the automotive industry "first half" electrification is still continuing, while the "second half" intelligence has opened a new situation. Electrification and intelligence are starting to integrate deeply, comprehensively reshaping the automotive industry pattern, and the automotive industry is gradually entering the intelligent electrification new era. In the intelligent electrification era, China's car companies went from scale leadership to technology, standards, brand, etc., comprehensive leadership. At the same time, the "15th Five-Year Plan" period will become a key period for China's automotive brand construction, and also the decisive window period for high-quality development of the automotive industry. Automotive industry enterprises should seize new historic development opportunities. Fu Yuwu said: "In terms of technology, we have built the world's most complete new energy vehicle industry chain, with battery energy density, safety, cost control, and other core indicators leading globally; intelligent connected technology has achieved commercial landing, with on-vehicle chips, vehicle operating system, and other 'chokehold' areas achieving breakthrough progress, completely reversing the passive situation of 'shortage of chips and cores'."

"Now our intelligence development is generally at the leading position globally, there is no country's automotive industry more active than us, actions faster, actions so firm, and consumers very enjoy the new experience brought by intelligence. Government, industry, university, research, and use five aspects effort to support intelligence market operation, in the ecology China is unique. This is the most favorable social background for us to develop intelligence." Fu Yuwu said, "The ultimate goal of intelligence is unmanned driving, to make cars safer, but really walking to full scenario unmanned driving may still need some time, because safety can least be slack, because it relates to life safety. In summary, our intelligence development prospects are all good."

In terms of intelligence, the entire domestic ecology has started to form a closed loop. Fu Yuwu believes that our country's entire ecological chain, innovation chain, and industrial chain have formed. For example, people, cars, roads, networks, clouds, maps, six elements can be combined, and foreigners cannot do it. China has system advantages and can effectively integrate resources. "In this round of change, China's industry collaboration, upstream and downstream innovation linkage is unprecedentedly active. This round of intelligent electrification system track success is closely related to collaborative innovation. Now any niche field has technology supporters, there are companions, and there are ecological partners. So, our success is not a flash in the pan, there are very good industry foundations, social foundations, and the foundation is very heavy, is based on cross-industry, cross-discipline fusion innovation foundation mutual empowerment. We created a historical miracle, this is China's characteristics."

Facing the wave of intelligent electrification development, China FAW is comprehensively building technological innovation systematic ability, and achieving "original technology source" strength together with industry enterprises. For example, during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, FAW Hongqi broke through more than 1,500 key core technologies, focusing on "Three Electric", "Three Intelligence" implemented a series of major strategic layout, technological innovation and organizational adjustment, comprehensively creating Tiangong pure electric, Honghu hybrid, Jiuzhang smart three major technology platforms, brake-by-wire steering system, all solid-state battery, Hongqi Sinzhi Intelligent Driving reached industry advanced level, created a powerful technical foundation for independent R&D, and formed a full spectrum matrix covering fuel, pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and range-extending. Now, "Hongqi" has entered 2.3 million families. FAW Jiefang transformed into a provider of green intelligent transportation solutions, cracking efficient oil-cooled electric drive bridge technology, new energy vehicle lightweight, and other key core technologies on core technologies. Now, FAW Jiefang cumulative production and sales have exceeded 9 million units. FAW Bestune created a new energy technology cluster such as Yueying platform, Zhuri Power, and Ruyi Cockpit in technology breakthroughs. Joint venture enterprises FAW-Volkswagen and FAW Toyota are also comprehensively promoting intelligence and electrification transformation.

Currently, China FAW uses digital intelligence as a key handle, with AI as the core engine, creating FAW Flexible Intelligent Manufacturing Mode, promoting enterprises to transform from manufacturing type to technology type. It will also list digital intelligence transformation as a "Number One Hand" project, creating a digital intelligence product chain around core business. For example, it initiated the "Digital Intelligence Transformation Open Source Plan", output the self-developed Qixing Cloud platform ability modularly, jointly with relevant enterprises to build an intelligent manufacturing ecology; released the industry's first enterprise operation intelligent agent OpenMind, etc.

Cross-border integration has become an important handle for car companies to "break through". For example, China FAW has begun to layout the low-altitude economy, successfully developed Hongqi "Tianjian No. 1" flying car; promoted AI+ special action, creating humanoid robots, wheel-arm robots, quadruped robots, self-developed embodied intelligent robots will be comprehensively landed in Hongqi Intelligent Factory. Fu Yuwu advocates that the automotive industry should "look at automobiles by jumping out of automobiles", emphasizing cross-border integration. In the intelligent electrification era, he said: "Cross-border integration is the theme of the times, enterprises should treat it as a new value orientation. At the same time, they must embrace the ecology. This is not a matter of willing or not, but a life and death issue. We must embrace the Internet of Vehicles, without ecology, it is impossible to move forward. How to establish a benign ecology adapted to the new era is a required question for enterprises. Embracing the future, they must proactively unite ecological partners. Whose ecology is done well, who may win the future. In these aspects, China FAW has great potential."

Globalization Era:

From Automobile Major Country to Automobile Strong Country

In terms of transformation towards electrification and intelligence, China's automotive industry has achieved significant results, completed new energy track complete layout, formed full-chain advantages, at the same time intelligence advantages also appeared, improving the competitiveness of exported products. China's car companies' globalization development entered a new stage, exports became a new growth pole, and transformed from "Looking Up" to "Looking Straight". Overtaking on a new bend, new energy vehicles became the core engine of exports. Fu Yuwu said: "We Reform and Opening Up, joined WTO, let China's automobiles become part of the global. Today, China's automobile production and sales become number one in the world, from a deeper step, the global automotive industry cannot leave China, we are more confident."

Fu Yuwu stated that for a long time, the global market's cognition of China's automobiles was solidified on "Low Price, OEM, Imitation" labels. This cognition bias, both overseas public opinion long-term formed stereotypes, and with our country's industry early "Heavy Sales, Light R&D, Heavy Scale, Light Brand" development stage closely related. But after nearly ten years of deep transformation, China's automotive industry fundamentals underwent fundamental, subversive changes, we have complete reason and confidence to set up China's automotive technology confidence, industry confidence, and brand confidence. Standing on a new historical starting point, the era background of China's automotive brands has been updated to innovation, quality, intelligence, green, and open.

China's automobile exports first broke through 1 million units in 2012, reaching 1.0561 million units; from 1 vehicle to 1 million units took 55 years; in 2021, automobile exports first broke through 2 million units, reaching 2.015 million units, surpassing South Korea and becoming the world's third; in 2022, automobile exports broke through 3 million units, reaching 3.111 million units, surpassing Germany and becoming the world's second, among which new energy vehicle exports were 679,000 units; in 2023, automobile exports were 4.91 million units, surpassing Japan for the first time, becoming the world's first, among which traditional fuel automobile exports were 3.707 million units, new energy vehicle exports were 1.203 million units; in 2024, automobile exports were 5.859 million units, among which new energy vehicle exports were 1.284 million units; in 2025, automobile exports broke through 7 million units, reaching 7.098 million units, ranking first in the world for 3 consecutive years; from January to June 2026, automobile exports were 5.096 million units, first half-year exports first broke through 5 million units, and whole year expected to break through 10 million units.

China's car companies' globalization development form comprehensively leaped, from "Product Export" to full industry chain ecology going global, especially "Technology Going Global" attracted attention, ushered in from "Scale Expansion" to "Value Going Global" key leap. Fu Yuwu said: "Experienced seventy years of hard conditions, forty years of Reform and Opening Up, China's automotive industry completed the historical leap from 'Importing' to 'Going Out', from 'Following and Imitating' to 'Paralleling and Leading', from 'Product Output' to 'Ecology Leading'. Currently, the evaluation of China's automotive brands in the international market shows a complex pattern of recognition steadily rising, regional differentiation obvious, deep-seated prejudices not yet eliminated."

Fu Yuwu emphasized that globalization development is long and hard, automotive industry reconstruction, internationalization is a major opportunity for China's automotive industry development, and also a great challenge. He said: "We must remain clear, production and sales scale leading does not equal industry discourse power leading, capacity advantage does not equal value advantage, local market success does not equal global market success, China's automobiles fully entering Europe and America high-end markets still face brand barriers, trade barriers, cultural barriers and many other challenges. China's automobiles' product power and technology power have been widely recognized globally, but brand power is still our biggest shortcoming. Filling the brand value shortcoming, building an international brand discourse system matching with China's automotive industry status, is a major problem we must focus on solving in the current and a period of time to come. Globalization is a required question, but I do not agree that everyone goes out to sea, Chinese enterprises going out to sea is a long-term historical proposition, focusing on value resonance, winning in independent innovation."

In the globalization era, China FAW has comprehensively accelerated globalization layout, is building an ecology going global system, systematically transforming towards high value-added direction, achieving from 'Going Out' to 'Going In' 'Going Up', from 'Product Going Global' to 'System Going Global' leap. Currently, China FAW overseas business covers more than 100 countries and regions, its independent brands implement differentiated going global strategies for different market characteristics. For example, Hongqi focuses on European high-end new energy market, accelerating localization strategy; Jiefang deeply cultivates Global South markets, ranking first among Chinese brand holdings in South Africa, Indonesia, etc. markets, in 2025 overseas sales first broke through 60,000 units, achieving 6-year 10-fold sales leap; Bestune established an international company for independent operation, steadily promoting globalization strategy landing. Joint venture enterprise FAW-Volkswagen is also exerting effort, in 2025 the first batch of exported vehicles officially exported to the Middle East, achieving "0 to 1" historic breakthrough in overseas career.

"China FAW export time is earlier, among which commercial vehicle export went earliest, passenger vehicle export later. So, China FAW globalization development, one is having foundation, two is having better layout and experience, three is now facing new export, internationalization steps should be larger. Believe China FAW internationalization development has good prospects." Fu Yuwu advised, to adhere to technology standing as root, with hardcore strength build brand foundation; change narrative perspective, build globalization brand communication system; adhere to value going global, promote from product output to ecology output upgrade; consolidate talent foundation, provide core support for brand globalization.

In addition, China's automotive industry and enterprise development "From Large to Strong", needs entrepreneur spirit. "Entrepreneur spirit with entrepreneurship innovation, never giving up, always striving as background is a spiritual totem running through China's automotive industry development, generations continue. The era calls for such enterprises and entrepreneurs." Fu Yuwu said, "China FAW entrepreneurship innovation spirit, Dongfeng struggle background color, are in different eras living practice performance. Ultimately, hard strength determines how fast we can walk, and entrepreneur spirit as the core industry soft strength, determines how far we can walk, how steady, to how big a world stage."

Fu Yuwu said: "In today's industry reconstruction, era change today, I hope China FAW always holds entrepreneurship innovation spirit, be good as industry dragon head, be good as industry 'older brother', not only output products, but also output spirit, output better spiritual food. China FAW entrepreneurship innovation striving spirit never outdated."

In summary, China's automotive industry 70-year evolution history, is a history of starting from scratch, self-reliance, independent innovation, bravely climbing peaks, and from "Following" to "Parallel Running" to "Leading" striving history. China's automotive industry development changes are technology, scale, and status, unchanging is China's automobile people striving for self-improvement, bravely standing in the forefront of the tide pioneer spirit, innovative spirit. Standing on a new starting point, China's automotive industry will continue to write new legends and era chapters belonging to China's automotive brands in openness, cooperation, and win-win.