September in Guangxi sees two important milestones for Chinese automobile exports one after another

On September 8, a batch of auto parts departed from Guangxi to Vietnam via the Pinglu Canal. Compared to previous exports via Guangzhou and Shenzhen, this new route is expected to reduce logistics costs by 18%. Nine days later, at the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo, SAIC-GM-Wuling officially released its Global 5 global strategy and signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Malaysia Chan Chang Group on the localized battery CKD project.

One is a logistics channel connecting to the sea, and the other is a corporate strategy facing the global market. Seemingly belonging to different dimensions, they both point to the same proposition: How Chinese automobiles can shift from "going out" to "going deep" in the global market, thereby achieving long-term, stable, and sustainable operations.

In recent years, Chinese automobile exports have grown rapidly, with new energy vehicles becoming an important incremental factor. However, with intensifying international market competition, rising tariffs, regulations, supply chain security requirements, and localization demands, the model of opening markets solely through whole vehicle trade is facing challenges. The export of Chinese automobiles has entered a new phase of competing on system capabilities: it requires not only products but also the ability to implement manufacturing, supply chains, services, talent, finance, and standards collaboratively.

SAIC-GM-Wuling's release of the Global 5 global strategy at this juncture is a systematic response to changes in the industry environment. With the core "5S System" comprising five strength foundations, five cooperation models, five service guarantees, five market layouts, and five development goals, SAIC-GM-Wuling has built a new globalization concept. In the next 3 years, it will deepen its layout in 150 countries, expand 500 strategic partners, achieve an average annual sales growth of 50%, and strive to become a leading global brand in new energy vehicles.

This is both a grand plan and reflects new thinking by Chinese automakers on the logic of globalization development: overseas markets are not simply an extension of domestic competition, and going out cannot be limited to increasing export quantities. Instead, it must establish operating systems rooted locally around the industrial foundations, policy environments, and consumption demands of different countries.

Going Out Is Not Just About Selling Cars, But Building an Ecosystem

SAIC-GM-Wuling's globalization did not start from scratch. After 31 years of exploration, its products have entered over 120 countries and regions, with cumulative overseas sales exceeding 1.6 million units (sets), and overseas exports growing for 10 consecutive years. From January to August this year, SAIC-GM-Wuling's exports exceeded 240,000 units (sets), with monthly exports surpassing 30,000 units (sets) for 5 consecutive months. To date, SAIC-GM-Wuling's global cumulative production and sales have exceeded 32 million units, with cumulative new energy vehicle sales exceeding 4 million units.

Scale is the foundation for enterprises to further globalize, but scale itself does not equal global competitiveness. What truly deserves attention is that SAIC-GM-Wuling is converting the product, technology, and industrial chain advantages accumulated domestically into a system that can be replicated, adapted, and operated continuously overseas.

"Behind this is the systematic overseas expansion of SAIC-GM-Wuling with 'Five Chains Integration' as the core." Liu Yan, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Overseas Division of SAIC-GM-Wuling, told reporters from China Automotive News, "SAIC-GM-Wuling is promoting the synergy and overall implementation of the intelligent manufacturing chain, supply chain, sales chain, talent chain, and financial chain—the 'Five Chains'—to complete the leap from whole vehicle exports to ecosystem construction."

The intelligent manufacturing chain is a key support for the implementation of the overseas system. Backed by the world-first I²MS intelligent island manufacturing system, SAIC-GM-Wuling has built I²MS-NKD intelligent island semi-knock-down assembly workshops with an annual packaging and shipping capacity of 250,000 units (sets). Compared with traditional fixed assembly lines, the intelligent island model emphasizes flexible organization and modular production, which is conducive to adapting to the needs of the overseas market for multiple varieties, small batches, and rapid switching. Through the interconnection of domestic and overseas manufacturing nodes, multimodal transport costs via road, rail, and water can be reduced by 30%.

The value of this model lies not only in improving production efficiency but also in reallocating the functions of domestic bases and overseas factories. SAIC-GM-Wuling's Liuzhou headquarters undertakes R&D, technology and standard output, talent empowerment, and supply chain coordination, while overseas bases focus on local production, local supply chain cultivation, and market operations. Liu Yan summarized it as "Capability Output + Local Adaptation": the headquarters outputs product platforms and process standards, while overseas bases conduct adaptive development combining local needs, achieving bidirectional synergy in R&D, manufacturing, and supply chains.

The supply chain is the foundation of system overseas expansion. Acting as the "chain owner," SAIC-GM-Wuling led 17 domestic core suppliers to jointly layout overseas, covering core components such as batteries, motors, and electronic control. It also independently developed over 100 local suppliers in Indonesia, increasing the localization rate of local factories to over 60%. For parts enterprises following the OEMs overseas, this synergy can reduce the cost of independently opening up markets and improve order stability. For whole vehicle enterprises, it can shorten logistics cycles, reduce tariff expenses, and enhance supply chain resilience.

"Five Chain Synergy" has not stopped at the production stage. In the sales chain, SAIC-GM-Wuling entered the market in the mode of "Vehicle + Charging Facilities", currently having built over 200 dealer stores and more than 1,000 public charging piles, and providing free home charging pile installation for 15,000 users. In the talent chain, it trained local technical talents through education and training centers and industry-education integration projects, cumulatively training over 400 international students. In the finance chain, Indonesia's diversified finance company provides financing and insurance services for 150 local dealers and end consumers.

This means that as a vehicle enters the overseas market, supporting manufacturing capabilities, supply systems, sales channels, charging facilities, vocational education, and financial services also land synchronously. Compared to traditional whole vehicle exports, although this model involves heavier investment and a longer construction cycle, it enhances the connection between the enterprise and the local industry, employment, and consumption systems.

Liu Yan believes that localization is "not just about building factories, but building ecosystems." Only by cultivating local suppliers, co-building infrastructure, and training local talents, allowing the local area to share the value of industrial development, can enterprises change from "guests" of the market to "family" of the industry. This judgment grasps the core change in current Chinese automobile exports: competitiveness is shifting from the "cost-performance ratio of a single car" to the "synergy of an industrial chain" and the depth of rooting locally.

Promoting Deep Localization with ASEAN as a Fulcrum

In the global automobile market, different countries have significant differences in market size, industrial foundation, investment policies, tariff systems, and consumption habits. If globalization is promoted with a single model, it will not only be costly but also prone to mismatches between production capacity, channels, and market demand.

SAIC-GM-Wuling's Global 5 strategy proposes five cooperation models for this: trade, distribution, production and sales, full industrial chain, and technology licensing, flexibly adapting by depth according to the development stage of different markets. Liu Yan introduced that for markets that do not yet have local manufacturing conditions, trade or distribution models can be adopted first; for countries with certain industrial foundations and localization policy requirements, production and sales models such as KD and CKD assembly can be adopted; in markets with relatively complete industrial chain foundations, full industrial chain cooperation can be further promoted; in some markets, products, management experience, and talent capabilities can be exported through technology licensing.

From the existing layout, the Philippines focuses on distribution cooperation, with the enterprise providing market, brand, channel, and service support to partners. Markets such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar adopt production and sales models more frequently, reducing comprehensive costs through KD or CKD assembly and meeting local manufacturing requirements. Indonesia has become a representative of the full industrial chain model, promoting manufacturing, supply chain, sales, talent, finance, and standard construction synchronously. Markets such as India and Malaysia have also formed practices in technology licensing cooperation.

This differentiated path addresses the problem of how to balance "wide coverage" and "high-quality growth" in global operations. Trade and distribution models have relatively lighter investment, conducive to quickly entering markets and verifying demand. Production and sales and full industrial chain models can form long-term capabilities in key markets. Technology licensing helps integrate local partner resources and reduces the uncertainty of independent investment. Different models are not isolated but can be upgraded gradually as market size and industrial conditions change.

ASEAN is an important testing ground for this model and also the bridgehead for SAIC-GM-Wuling's global layout. On one hand, China and ASEAN are geographically close with complementary industries, and regional economic and trade ties continue to deepen. On the other hand, the market maturity, localization policies, and industrial capabilities of ASEAN countries differ significantly, providing application space for various cooperation models. Currently, SAIC-GM-Wuling has laid out CKD factories in Indonesia, India, Egypt, Malaysia, Vietnam, and other places, and is promoting "Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Integration" with Indonesia as an anchor, further radiating to markets such as Vietnam and the Philippines.

The cooperation this time with Malaysia's Chan Chang Group to build a battery localization CKD production line is the first landed project after the release of the Global 5 global strategy, also reflecting the enterprise's localization thinking extending from whole vehicle manufacturing to core components. Facing the rising thresholds for battery and whole vehicle localization in ASEAN countries, battery localization production can reduce import taxes, improve cost structures, and enhance the stability of core component supply.

Liu Yan stated that this project will export the core component supply chain, build a Malaysia-based autonomous supply chain system, and further improve SAIC-GM-Wuling's industrial map in ASEAN. Its significance is not only to reduce the production costs of a single vehicle model but also to form battery support capabilities that can serve the regional market and drive the Guangxi new energy vehicle industry chain to participate in cross-border synergy.

From a deeper level, the value of the ASEAN market for Chinese automakers is no longer just sales growth. Here is a market where new energy vehicle demand is growing rapidly, and also an important platform for testing Chinese automakers' global manufacturing, local operations, and cross-cultural adaptation capabilities. Only by establishing mature models in the complex and diverse environment of ASEAN can these capabilities be further replicated to other global regions.

Local Adaptation and Standard Output Advance Together

System overseas expansion ultimately needs to be implemented into user value. The demand of ASEAN consumers for new energy vehicles can be summarized as high cost-performance, high reliability, high convenience, and high adaptability. Purchase and usage costs remain important decision factors, but high temperature and high humidity climate, complex road conditions, multi-language environments, as well as charging and after-sales networks, also put more detailed requirements on products.

To this end, SAIC-GM-Wuling formed a "5+N" global product layout, with five global products: Starlight 560, Starlight 730, 5th Gen Wuling Hongguang MINIEV, Bingo Family, Yangguang EV, covering SUV, MPV, micro mobility, urban new energy, and commercial vehicle markets, and developing niche demands through other categories. Products are not simply exporting domestic models with changed badges, but emphasize "Global Platform, Local Adaptation".

Taking Indonesia as an example, the local population is dense and family sizes are relatively large, with stable demand for MPVs. Starlight 730 has undergone more than a dozen optimizations for Indonesian usage scenarios. The enterprise also adjusted interior materials, air conditioning systems, car systems, and AI voice interaction around Islamic culture worship needs, high temperature and high humidity climate, local network conditions, and dialect accents. From this, it can be seen that localization capabilities have penetrated into product definition and R&D front ends, not just the production stage.

Beyond product adaptation, the output of technical standards is becoming new content for Chinese automobile globalization. In the past, Chinese automobiles entering overseas markets mainly met local existing regulations. Now, with the expansion of leading advantages in new energy vehicle technology and industrial scale, Chinese enterprises are beginning to participate in regional rule and technical standard construction.

SAIC-GM-Wuling jointly established the China-ASEAN Automobile Standard and Regulation Research Platform with relevant institutions, promoting the passage of Chinese DC fast charging equipment through Indonesia's SNI certification, enabling national standard DC fast charging piles to be legally deployed locally; the safety design of Air ev has been included in relevant ASEAN technical specifications. In Thailand, the enterprise participated in standard policy discussions around battery sustainable management, power battery recycling, and battery passport tracing, and carried out cooperation on ASEAN electric vehicle standard systems, technical terminology, and talent training.

"For Chinese automobile brands, technical standard output is the symbol of going from 'following and running alongside' to 'leading'." Liu Yan stated that co-building standards can reduce repeated testing and certification, lowering the institutional costs for enterprises entering the ASEAN market; at the same time, it can also export new energy vehicle regulations, testing, and certification experiences locally, promoting the co-construction and sharing of regional testing and certification capabilities.

For the entire industry, China and ASEAN strengthening standard acceptance and mutual recognition of testing helps reduce repeated investment and provide convenience for more Chinese brands to enter regional markets; for the host country, it can accelerate the construction of new energy vehicle industry infrastructure and regulatory systems. Standard co-building promoted by enterprises should ultimately form public value for industrial cooperation, not just the company's own competitive barriers.

From this perspective, the novelty shown in the Global 5 strategy lies in including products, manufacturing, supply chains, and market layouts into the same globalization framework, and placing services, talent, finance, standards, and sustainable development in positions equally important to sales volume. What it pursues is to form a long-term mechanism that benefits enterprises, partners, suppliers, and local society together.

Chinese automobile exports are still in a growth period, but the industry's evaluation scale is changing. In the future, the standards for measuring an automaker's globalization level will not only include export volume and overseas revenue, but also include local manufacturing capabilities, supply chain resilience, brand recognition, compliance capabilities, standard participation, and contributions to local industry and society.

Starting from Liuzhou, connecting to ASEAN via Pinglu Canal, and radiating to five continents from ASEAN, SAIC-GM-Wuling is exploring an advanced path from product trade, capability output to ecosystem co-construction. Its value lies not only in the enterprise opening up new growth space for itself, but also in providing an observable, verifiable, and replicable practical sample for Chinese automobile exports.

Globalization has never been a sprint. The Global 5 strategy proposes goals for the next 3 years, but what truly needs to be established is operational capability facing a longer cycle. For Chinese automobiles to go steady and far in the global market, they must not only maintain product and technology advantages but also learn to grow together with local industries. From "selling out" to "staying", and then to "joint development", this might well be the most important direction for the next stage of Chinese automobile exports.

September 17, Nanning, Guangxi, SAIC-GM-Wuling, with the theme "Global Wuling, Shining in ASEAN", appeared at the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo. The Global 5 Global Strategy was launched on site, and an in-depth strategic cooperation agreement was signed with Malaysia's Chunchang Group.  

As a benchmark enterprise for the collaborative global expansion of China's automotive industry, SAIC-GM-Wuling concurrently occupied the two featured exhibition halls of the "New Energy and Intelligent Connected Vehicles" Zone and the "Advanced Technology" Zone at this ASEAN Expo, presenting users with the flagship large 6-seater Hua Jing S equipped with Huawei Qiankun Technology, the G20 Summit Official Vehicle Air ev, the "Tian", "Ling", "Shen" technology brands, as well as the I²MS Smart Island Manufacturing System and other achievements, comprehensively showcasing SAIC-GM-Wuling's global strength from products to technology, and from brand to ecosystem.

SAIC-GM-Wuling "New Energy and Intelligent Connected Vehicles" Zone

SAIC-GM-Wuling "Advanced Technology" Zone

Currently, the global new energy transformation is facing the three gaps of "large affordability gap, high localization threshold, and ecosystem chain break". Facing the questions of the era, SAIC-GM-Wuling convened a global strategy press conference and officially launched the Global 5 Global Strategy. With a new posture, it joins hands with ASEAN and global partners to co-draw a new blueprint for the global new energy vehicle ecosystem.

China's automotive industry is moving from a "Major Automobile Power" to an "Automobile Powerhouse". On this road to a powerhouse, SAIC-GM-Wuling submitted a brilliant report card: cumulative global production and sales surpassed 32 million units; new energy vehicle sales exceeded 4 million units; overseas exports grew continuously for 10 years, with cumulative exports surpassing 1.6 million units/sets. From initially leveraging partnerships to go global, to today relying on the advantages of the New Land-Sea Corridor, smart manufacturing, and green manufacturing, SAIC-GM-Wuling has grown into a global car company leading in both scale and growth rate, and is also one of the Chinese brands favored by ASEAN users. In the future, SAIC-GM-Wuling will plan the globalization path from five dimensions of strength, model, market, guarantee, and goal, defining new standards for high-quality development of the global automotive industry.  

The Global 5 Global Strategy is the China solution contributed by SAIC-GM-Wuling for the Chinese automotive industry to move towards a full-chain ecosystem export. SAIC-GM-Wuling brings full-scenario mobility solutions with a full-category product layout, builds pragmatic and reliable core technologies centered on the "Tian Ling Shen" technology system, breaks the century-old assembly line convention with the globally first I²MS Smart Island Manufacturing System, constructs a full-industry-chain ecosystem layout with the synergy of the "Smart Manufacturing Chain, Supply Chain, Sales Chain, Talent Chain, and Finance Chain", casts extreme trust and reputation with 68 years of car-making history and 32 million units of cumulative production and sales, constructs five major strength bases, and systematically converts full-link independent research and construction capabilities into overseas market competitiveness. At the same time, SAIC-GM-Wuling, targeting the development stages and policy environments of different global markets, launched five open cooperation models of trade, distribution, production and sales, full industry chain, and technology licensing. It goes from shallow to deep, adapts flexibly, and partners can choose freely according to their own needs.  

In addition, SAIC-GM-Wuling also constructed five major service guarantee systems including global quality guarantee, supply chain guarantee, partner empowerment guarantee, localized after-sales guarantee, and sustainable operation guarantee, covering the entire lifecycle of cooperation; with ASEAN as a bridgehead, it continues to deepen the layout of five major markets in Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania; formulated five major development goals of deepening the layout of 150 countries in 3 years, expanding 500 strategic partners, an annual sales growth rate of 50%, becoming a world new energy leader brand, and becoming a pioneer in industrial upgrading and green development, to achieve a win-win pattern of the "Wuling Development Wing" and the "Wuling Partner Wing" flying together with both wings.

SAIC-GM-Wuling Global 5 Global Strategy

As the first landing result after the launch of the Global 5 Global Strategy, SAIC-GM-Wuling and Malaysia's Chunchang Group signed an in-depth strategic cooperation agreement on site at the press conference, officially launching the local industrial layout in Malaysia. Relying on the export of the core parts supply chain, SAIC-GM-Wuling will build a Malaysia local independent supply chain system, continue to improve the industrial map of the ASEAN region, and promote international capacity layout and cross-border industrial coordinated development.  

G20 Summit Official Vehicle

SAIC-GM-Wuling Global Product Matrix Makes A Grand Debut at China-ASEAN Expo

Summary:

SAIC-GM-Wuling fully presented the system upgrade of China's automotive industry from product export to full-chain ecosystem export, providing a replicable experience sample for local enterprises and manufacturing to "go out" at high quality.

Today, the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo opened in Nanning, Guangxi. SAIC-GM-Wuling appeared at this Expo with the theme "Global Wuling, Shining in ASEAN", heavily launching the Global 5 Global Strategy on site, signing a deep strategic cooperation agreement with Malaysia Chuanhang Group, and collaborating with People's Forum to release the think tank report "New Paradigm of Collaborative Overseas Expansion in Green Manufacturing and Automotive Industry", showcasing new quality achievements of Chinese automobiles leaping from product overseas expansion to full-chain ecosystem overseas expansion to the world.

"Global Wuling, Shining in ASEAN" SAIC-GM-Wuling Appears at the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo

As a benchmark enterprise for the collaborative overseas expansion of China's automotive industry, SAIC-GM-Wuling concurrently participated in the "New Energy and Intelligent Connected Vehicles" exhibition zone and the "Advanced Technology" exhibition zone at this ASEAN Expo, bringing users flagship large six-seater Huanjing S equipped with Huawei Qiankun technology, G20 Summit official vehicle Air ev, "Tian", "Ling", "Shen" technology brands, and I²MS Intelligent Island manufacturing system and other results displays, comprehensively presenting SAIC-GM-Wuling's globalization strength from products to technology, from brand to ecosystem.

SAIC-GM-Wuling "New Energy and Intelligent Connected Vehicles" Exhibition Zone

SAIC-GM-Wuling "Advanced Technology" Exhibition Zone

Global 5 Global Strategy Release, SAIC-GM-Wuling Contributes Chinese Solution for High-Quality Development of Global Automotive Industry

Currently, the global new energy transition faces three major gaps: "large inclusive disparity, high localization threshold, and ecosystem chain fragmentation". Facing the questions of the times, SAIC-GM-Wuling convened a global strategy release conference, officially releasing the Global 5 Global Strategy. With a new posture, joining hands with ASEAN and global partners, it co-draws a new blueprint for the global new energy vehicle ecosystem. Mr. Zhao Xiaobin, Vice President of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd., stated in his speech that the Chinese automotive industry is moving from a "large automotive country" to a "powerful automotive country". On this path to becoming powerful, SAIC-GM-Wuling has delivered a brilliant report card: cumulative global production and sales have exceeded 32 million units; new energy vehicle sales exceeded 4 million units; overseas exports have grown for 10 consecutive years, with cumulative export sales breaking through 1.6 million units/sets. From initially relying on others' ships to go overseas to today relying on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, intelligent manufacturing and green manufacturing advantages, SAIC-GM-Wuling has grown into a global automaker with both scale and growth rate leading, and is also one of the Chinese brands loved by ASEAN users. In the future, SAIC-GM-Wuling will plan the globalization path from five dimensions: strength, model, market, guarantee, and goals, defining new standards for high-quality development of the global automotive industry.

SAIC-GM-Wuling Vice President Zhao Xiaobin Speech

The Global 5 Global Strategy is SAIC-GM-Wuling's Chinese solution contributed to the Chinese automotive industry's journey towards full-chain ecosystem overseas expansion. At the press conference, Shi Jiangong, Vice President of SAIC-GM-Wuling Overseas Business Department, detailed the implementation path of the Global 5 Global Strategy. He stated that SAIC-GM-Wuling brings full-scenario mobility solutions through a full-category product layout, builds pragmatic and reliable core technologies with the "Tian Ling Shen" technology system as the core, breaks the century-old assembly line convention with the world-first I²MS Intelligent Island manufacturing system, constructs a full-industry chain ecosystem layout through the "Intelligent Manufacturing Chain, Supply Chain, Sales Chain, Talent Chain, Finance Chain" five-chain synergy, casts extreme trust and reputation with 68 years of car-making history and 32 million cumulative production and sales, builds five strength bases, and systematically converts full-link self-research and self-construction capabilities into overseas market competitiveness. At the same time, SAIC-GM-Wuling has launched five open cooperation models including trade, dealership, production-sales, full-industry chain, and technology licensing targeting the development stages and policy environments of different global markets, progressing from shallow to deep, flexibly adapting, allowing partners to choose according to their own needs.

SAIC-GM-Wuling Overseas Business Department Vice President Shi Jiangong Speech

In addition, SAIC-GM-Wuling has also built five major service guarantee systems including global quality guarantee, supply chain guarantee, partner empowerment guarantee, localized after-sales guarantee, and sustainable operation guarantee, covering the full lifecycle of cooperation; with ASEAN as a bridgehead, continuously deepening the layout of five major markets: Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe, and Oceania; formulated five major development goals including deepening layout in 150 countries in 3 years, expanding 500 strategic partners, annual sales average growth of 50%, becoming a world new energy leadership brand, becoming a pioneer in industrial upgrading and green development, to achieve a win-win pattern where both "Wuling Development Wing" and "Wuling Partner Wing" fly together.

SAIC-GM-Wuling Global 5 Global Strategy

As the first implementation result after the Global 5 Global Strategy release, SAIC-GM-Wuling signed a deep strategic cooperation agreement with Malaysia Chuanhang Group on site at the press conference, officially launching the Malaysia localized industry layout. Liu Zhijun, Director of Marketing and Service Department of Liuzhou Saike Technology, and TQ WULING General Manager Yun Weishan represented both parties to complete the signing; Shi Guoyong, Member of the Party Committee of SAIC-GM-Wuling, Party Secretary of Liuzhou Saike Technology, Vice President, Huang Yaosong, Executive Vice President of SAIC-GM-Wuling, Zhao Xiaobin, Vice President of SAIC-GM-Wuling jointly witnessed this signing. Relying on the overseas expansion of core component supply chains, SAIC-GM-Wuling will build a Malaysia local independent supply chain system, continuously improve the ASEAN regional industry map, and promote international capacity layout and cross-border industry collaborative development.

SAIC-GM-Wuling and Malaysia Chuanhang Group Battery Localized CKD Project Strategic Cooperation Signing Ceremony

"New Paradigm of Collaborative Overseas Expansion in Green Manufacturing and Automotive Industry" Think Tank Report Released, SAIC-GM-Wuling Creates New Quality Chinese Automotive Overseas Expansion Sample

At the site of this China-ASEAN Expo, SAIC-GM-Wuling, collaborating with People's Forum, invited three industry experts to jointly release the "New Paradigm of Collaborative Overseas Expansion in Green Manufacturing and Automotive Industry" think tank report. The report systematically elaborates on the new paradigm of China's automotive industry collaborative overseas expansion constructed by SAIC-GM-Wuling through three paths: "New Quality Ecosystem, New Quality Brand, New Quality Product", and the practical experience of deeply binding the enterprise's globalization path with the Guangxi "Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou R&D + Guangxi Integration + ASEAN Application" development path.

G20 Summit Official Vehicle

The three paths of New Quality Ecosystem, New Quality Brand, and New Quality Product complement each other. Its New Quality Ecosystem constructs a complete system for Chinese automotive overseas expansion through five-chain synergy and green manufacturing. The New Quality Brand relies on five co-benefit results to break overseas "low-end bias". The New Quality Product responds to diverse global mobility needs with "5+N" global layout. Zhang Lei, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Economy Research Office of the Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized in the report release that SAIC-GM-Wuling systematically converts domestic accumulated technology, manufacturing, and supply chain advantages into global competitive advantages through the "Intelligent Manufacturing Chain - Supply Chain - Sales Chain - Talent Chain - Finance Chain" five-chain synergy; Zhou Changping, Executive Vice President of the National Bamboo Industry Research Institute, pointed out that SAIC-GM-Wuling took the lead in connecting the country's first "bamboo replacing plastic" full industry chain for automotive parts, setting a benchmark for green manufacturing. Zhao Xinli, Dean of the School of Advertising and Branding, Communication University of China, stated in the report interpretation that SAIC-GM-Wuling broke overseas low-end bias with high cost-performance ratio and deep scene adaptation, centrally demonstrating the effectiveness of Chinese automotive brands "going global", and at the same time through five major global products covering SUV, MPV, micro mobility, urban new energy, commercial vehicles and other full scenarios, ensuring every mobility has Wuling, and developing the market blue ocean with differentiated and multi-category advantages.

SAIC-GM-Wuling Global Product Matrix Makes Heavy Appearance at China-ASEAN Expo

From the forward-looking planning of the global strategy to the systematic summary of the People's Think Tank, SAIC-GM-Wuling fully presented the systematic upgrade of China's automobiles from product overseas expansion to full-chain ecosystem overseas expansion, providing replicable experience samples for local enterprises and manufacturing industries to "go out" high quality. Facing the new journey of the "15th Five-Year Plan", SAIC-GM-Wuling will lead with the Global 5 Global Strategy, walk steadily and go far with global partners, write the answer of "Chinese Intelligence Manufacturing" on a broader world stage, inject powerful Chinese automotive power into the next decade of high-quality joint construction of "Belt and Road", and for China-ASEAN opening cooperation to go deeper and become more realistic.

[Written by / Finance Circle & Dao Ge Auto Talk Ma Jianyu] Recently, SAIC-GM-Wuling completed a low-profile personnel adjustment. Han Dehong replaced Yao Zuoping as the Party Secretary of the company, and Yao Zuoping was transferred to serve as the General Manager Consultant of SAIC-GM-Wuling and the Director of the Technical Committee of the Smart Island Manufacturing System. According to public reports online, this adjustment took place at least half a month ago. However, the official side did not release relevant announcements, nor did it attract much media attention to the matter.

Public data shows that Yao Zuoping is now 62 years old, exceeding the statutory retirement age, and this job adjustment seems to be a transition towards retirement. Han Dehong, on the other hand, is a young-generation executive of SAIC-GM-Wuling, 44 years old this year, and is in the prime of his career. Before this adjustment, Han Dehong's public identity was the Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling.

In other words, Han Dehong's rank was further elevated after this adjustment. At the same time, considering that SAIC-GM-Wuling belongs to the SOE system, the step from "Deputy Secretary" to "Full Secretary" carries significant weight. Han Dehong, who is in the prime of his career, started serving as the Party Secretary of SAIC-GM-Wuling and concurrently as the Deputy General Manager, which also shows SAIC-GM-Wuling's emphasis on this young-generation executive.

It is worth mentioning that from Han Dehong's past experience, his appointment as the Party Secretary of SAIC-GM-Wuling also has greater practical significance in the background of the automotive sales "hot abroad but cold at home".

Over 20 Years of Service Young "Veteran" Upgraded

Public data shows that Han Dehong was born in 1982, is 44 years old this year, and there are no public records available regarding his educational background.

But his connection with SAIC-GM-Wuling is deep. In a media report from June 2025, Han Dehong recounted that he "just entered the company in 2005". In other words, the time Han Dehong entered SAIC-GM-Wuling has exceeded 20 years.

From his resume, Han Dehong has rich experience on the front lines of sales and brand communication. In June 2016, Han Dehong began to serve as the Deputy General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling Sales Company. After the launch of the New Baojun brand in 2019, he served as the Deputy General Manager of New Baojun Sales Company, and subsequently held positions such as Director of New Baojun Brand Communication, Deputy Party Secretary of SAIC-GM-Wuling, and General Manager Assistant, among others.

Since September 2024, Han Dehong appeared publicly in the capacity of Deputy General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling. In terms of achievements, during Han Dehong's tenure as Deputy General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling Sales Company, SAIC-GM-Wuling consistently maintained the market position of the number one single automobile company in China. After the launch of the New Baojun brand, Han Dehong, as the core operator of New Baojun, helped New Baojun establish the brand positioning of "Pioneer of Smart Cars".

At the same time, Han Dehong repeatedly emphasized in public occasions that the mission of New Baojun is to "let intelligence no longer be the privilege of high-end cars", bringing higher-level automotive technology and products into a more affordable price range. It is worth noting that looking back from today's perspective, the brand positioning proposed by the New Baojun team represented by Han Dehong at that time was highly forward-looking. After 2020, the Chinese automobile market gradually began the trend of democratization of smart technology, and the weight of intelligence in influencing consumers' car purchase choices has become increasingly important.

After serving as the Deputy Party Secretary and Deputy General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling in 2024, Han Dehong became more like a "jack-of-all-trades". According to information released on the official WeChat account of SAIC-GM-Wuling, Han Dehong deeply participated in manufacturing, government-enterprise collaboration, Sino-foreign exchange, talent cultivation, ideological construction, marketing, etc., and made important contributions to the development of SAIC-GM-Wuling.

"Overseas Experience" Highly Aligned with Wuling's Business Focus

Placed in today's market background, what is most worth attention about Han Dehong is his experience in overseas markets. Public data shows that around 2010, Han Dehong was dispatched to India to serve as the Assistant General Manager of the Indian Joint Venture (General Motors India), following Yao Zuoping, then Deputy General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling, to jointly explore the Indian market.

In February 2021, Han Dehong was transferred to SAIC-GM-Wuling Indonesia Branch as Assistant General Manager, and was later promoted to Deputy General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling Indonesia Automotive Co., Ltd., responsible for the expansion and operation of the Indonesian market. In other words, whether it is the exploration of early markets or the expansion of overseas markets in the later new energy era, Han Dehong has relatively rich experience.

And this experience is particularly important in the current Chinese automobile industry. Data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers on September 10 shows that the domestic market continues to face pressure, with the month-on-month decline in monthly sales exceeding 20% for 5 consecutive months; exports continue to maintain high growth, with monthly exports exceeding 1 million units for 3 consecutive months, becoming a key increment to stabilize the industry's overall performance.

Specifically, from January to August, domestic automobile sales were 13.162 million units, a year-on-year decline of 21.8%; from January to August, automobile exports were 7.153 million units, a year-on-year increase of 66.7%. For most domestic automobile companies, seeking growth in overseas markets is no longer a choice question, but a mandatory question. According to official information from SAIC-GM-Wuling, in August, SAIC-GM-Wuling achieved sales of 130,870 units, among which the overseas market contributed 38,660 units/sets. At the same time, its cumulative overseas sales broke through 1.6 million units.

It is worth noting that the overseas market is one of SAIC-GM-Wuling's current business focuses. This year, SAIC-GM-Wuling formulated the "Overseas Doubling Project", anchoring an annual sales target of 400,000 units. Then, in this context, it has more practical significance for Han Dehong, who has "overseas experience", to serve as the Party Secretary of SAIC-GM-Wuling.

Furthermore, from the public activities Han Dehong appeared in throughout the year in recent years, those related to overseas business are also not few: attended the signing ceremony between SAIC-GM-Wuling and Saudi United Motors Group (UMG) on April 24; on April 3, received Glenn G.Peñaranda, Commercial Counselor of the Philippine Embassy in China, and a row of Wuling Automobile Philippines dealers to visit SAIC-GM-Wuling Liuzhou headquarters for field inspection and exchange... In September last year, SAIC-GM-Wuling management visited the Mexican market, Han Dehong was also among them.

Today, overseas markets have become a new track that Chinese automobile companies must participate in. With Han Dehong, who has "overseas experience", taking over as the Party Secretary of SAIC-GM-Wuling, what new ideas will it bring to SAIC-GM-Wuling's overseas business breakthrough?

Operator Finance Net Auto Channel, Written by Li Guangyan

Operator Finance Net noted that recently SAIC-GM-Wuling quietly carried out personnel adjustments. Han Dehong succeeded Yao Zuoping to serve as the company's Party Secretary. Yao Zuoping was transferred to serve as SAIC-GM-Wuling General Manager Consultant and Chairman of the Intelligent Island Manufacturing System Technical Committee.

It is understood that Yao Zuoping was born in May 1964. He is now 62 years old, which has exceeded the statutory retirement age. Before this adjustment, he served as SAIC-GM-Wuling Party Secretary and Deputy General Manager. Now he is appointed as General Manager Consultant of the company, no longer specifically responsible for operational affairs, seemingly transitioning towards retirement.

Successor Han Dehong is a very young executive, born in 1982, currently 44 years old. Previously, Han Dehong revealed in a media interview that he joined SAIC-GM-Wuling in 2005. It can be seen that he has actually served Wuling for over twenty years.

Around 2010, Han Dehong was sent to India to serve as Assistant General Manager of the India Joint Venture Company, following Yao Zuoping to jointly expand the Indian market. Later, he also served as Director of Administration and Public Relations of SAIC-GM-Wuling. In June 2016, Han Dehong was promoted and appointed as Deputy General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling Sales Company.

In 2019, SAIC-GM-Wuling launched the New Baojun brand. Han Dehong subsequently took office as Deputy General Manager of New Baojun Sales Company. Subsequently, he also served as New Baojun Brand Communication Director, Deputy General Manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling Indonesia Company, Deputy Party Secretary of SAIC-GM-Wuling, and General Manager Assistant, until September 2024 when he began appearing publicly as SAIC-GM-Wuling Deputy General Manager.

Before this adjustment, Han Dehong's public identity was SAIC-GM-Wuling Deputy Party Secretary and Deputy General Manager. Now he is SAIC-GM-Wuling Party Secretary and Deputy General Manager. Clearly, his position has been promoted.

Public data shows that in August 2026, SAIC-GM-Wuling's sales volume was 127,100 units, a year-on-year increase of 1.51%. Cumulative new car sales for the first eight months were 916,500 units, a year-on-year decrease of 8.29%.

Earlier, SAIC-GM-Wuling's August sales figures were released: 130,870 units. One number seems to lack weight. But if you look at the cumulative curve from January to August together, you can realize this is not that simple.

January was 37,929 units, and by August the cumulative total reached 484,300 units. There isn't a single month on this curve that is flat. Every month goes up. The proportion of new energy vehicles is rising synchronously. By January to August, it has broken through the volume of 920,000 units, among which new energy vehicles contributed 926,124 units, accounting for more than 70%. In the era of joint-venture fuel vehicles five years ago, such a structure was simply impossible.

So what Wuling has done in this round is more like measuring how far it can run with another rhythm.

What is truly worth mentioning is the figure of 1.6 million.

August overseas single-month sales were 38,600 units, exceeding 30,000 units overseas single-month for 5 consecutive months. Overseas cumulative sales have broken through 1.6 million units. Chinese car exports have been called for many years, but truly building a brand to a global scale of 1.6 million units and stably outputting 30,000 units overseas in a single month is rare.

More importantly, Wuling's overseas business is not simply whole-vehicle trade. India, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Wuling has done localized manufacturing and supply chain layout in multiple countries. Once this model runs smoothly, it means local users are buying more like Wuling's industrial capability itself locally. This moat is more meaningful than simple sales figures.

What is truly interesting this year is Wuling making moves on both ends.

Let's first talk about the upward-moving Huajing S. Launched in May, 3,603 units delivered in May, 5,689 in June, 7,203 in July, 7,306 in August. This curve has climbed steadily for four consecutive months. In July, it topped the plug-in hybrid large SUV sales list. Cumulative deliveries from May to August reached 23,801 units.

You should know, Huajing S starts at the 200,000-yuan tier, focusing on large six-seater SUVs, equipped with Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving System. A full-size large six-seater SUV with Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving System as standard equipment across the entire 200,000-yuan tier. This strategy has never appeared in Wuling's history.

In other words, Wuling has been locked within the 100,000-yuan price band for a long period in the past. National God Car, Wuling Hongguang, are all stories of this price point. Moving up a step to the 200,000-yuan market, and competing on the same stage with joint-venture brands and new forces, means Wuling's upward move has been successful.

The other car is Starlight L, which defends the basic market. 6,553 units in August single month, up 16% month-on-month from the launch month. The only large six-seater in the 100,000-yuan tier. This niche track rarely had decent products in the past. User demand has actually always been there.

Starlight L extends the car length to nearly 5 meters, wheelbase 2,950 mm, with a 2+2+2 true six-seater layout. Lingxi Power 3.0, Shenlian Battery, 1260 km comprehensive range, 4.9L fuel consumption with depleted battery. These technologies originally belonging to higher price points have been brought down directly by Wuling to the 100,000-yuan tier. More importantly, the supporting supply chain: Baosteel steel, BASF automotive paint, Fuyao glass, Michelin tires, Magna safety parts. All these supply chains with the same source and materials as luxury cars are now in place. The vehicle high-strength steel accounts for 75%, key parts use 1500 MPa aviation-grade hot-formed steel, and high-strength protective steel plates are even stuffed into the third-row seat backs.

Looking at these two cars together, the logic becomes clear. Huajing S opens up Wuling's ceiling in the 200,000-yuan tier. Starlight L raises the standard of the basic market in the 100,000-yuan tier. Both lines are doing the same thing: forcing higher-level product power into more mainstream price bands.

This breakthrough is more significant for the industry than doubling sales. It means the transformation of traditional automakers doesn't necessarily have to clear assets from the past to start over. They can retain the original basic market while recreating a brand upward. This path of incremental upgrade has actually been walked by Wuling.

For Huajing S to stand firm in the 200,000-yuan tier, confidence comes from two national-level hard supports. One is the National Quality Standards Laboratory, which is the first and currently the only approved construction in automaker enterprises, a full-link verification system from project initiation, testing to mass production. The second is the Intelligent Island Manufacturing System, selected into the national first batch of lead-level intelligent factory cultivation list. Vehicle assembly accuracy is at the 0.1 mm level, and production assembly error rate is zero.

In the context of the Chinese automotive industry, this level of investment was built up gradually over the past decade. Cooperating with top supply chain partners like Baosteel, CATL, Fuyao Glass, Autoliv, what Wuling does is actually quite simple: make every car close to zero defects.

What is truly unexpected is user feedback. Active users of assisted driving account for 95%. Net Promoter Score is 86 points, ranking first among new cars on NPS. 54.8% of users consider assisted driving as the primary decision factor for car purchase.

A large six-seater SUV at the 200,000-yuan tier. 95% of users use assisted driving every day. An NPS of 86 means the vast majority of owners are willing to recommend it to friends. 54.8% of people paid specifically for assisted driving.

This is real word-of-mouth. The front-stage outcry from KOLs is just one aspect. More importantly, it is feedback thrown out with real money from users in car usage scenarios. Huajing S's sales rising for four consecutive months is essentially this word-of-mouth being cashed into orders in the market.

If viewed only from an industry perspective, the lesson Wuling gives the entire industry in this round comes down to one sentence.

Transformation does not need to be at the cost of scale. Going overseas does not need to rely on low prices. Premiumization does not need to abandon the original basic market.

These three common sense points were repeatedly questioned in the Chinese automotive industry over the past few years. Many brands gave up their original markets to do new energy. To go premium, they completely changed the original user profiles. To go overseas, they pressed prices to the floor, and ended up being labeled as low quality and low price.

Unknown Car Domain: Wuling's moves in this round are simpler. Hongguang MINIEV's sixth anniversary of launch, global cumulative sales break through 3 million units. The basic market is not lost. Huajing S takes a step up. Starlight L makes the large six-seater a first-tier category in the 100,000-yuan tier, exerting force at both ends. New energy proportion exceeds 70%. Overseas exceeds 30,000 units in a single month for 5 consecutive months. Prices are not in price wars.

This balance comes from years of deep accumulation leading to a breakthrough in supply chain, manufacturing systems, and channel layout. So let's go back to the 130,870 units at the beginning. The number itself is not important. What is important is that behind this number, Wuling is walking a path that many Chinese automakers want to walk but haven't managed to. The keyword of this path is balance.

On May 28, in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the delivery site of SAIC-GM-Wuling's global car EKSION, there was not too much noisy ritual, yet it carried a highly symbolic milestone—on this day, SAIC Group welcomed the global delivery of the 100 millionth whole vehicle. 100 million vehicles, this is a number never seen in the history of China's automobile industry. And in this long accumulation chain, SAIC-GM-Wuling alone contributed over 32 million units.

If "100 million vehicles" is the size footnote of SAIC Group as a leading enterprise of China's automobile industry, then the delivery of EKSION in Indonesia looks more like a declaration towards the future: China's automotive globalization is no longer a simple product output, but a "Five Chains Going Global" road covering manufacturing, supply chain, sales, finance, and talent.

From "Hit Product" to "Ecosystem"

Looking back at the development trajectory of SAIC-GM-Wuling, a clear evolutionary path can be seen. The early Wuling Hongguang entered the market with "suitable for business and home, durable and robust", becoming the first car for countless Chinese entrepreneurs; Baojun 730 accurately captured the demand for family consumption upgrades, breaking the monopoly of joint venture brands on the MPV market; in 2020, the Hongguang MINIEV emerged like a thunderclap, activating the blue ocean market for new energy commuting vehicles with extreme cost-effectiveness.

But what is truly worth attention is not the success of single models, but the product methodology gradually formed by this enterprise: Centered on real user scenarios, with extreme cost control as a means, achieving maximum functional satisfaction within a limited price range.

This May, the launch of the Hua Jing S co-created with Huawei Qukun marks that Wuling is breaking through the traditional cognition of "Low Price = Low Configuration", bringing high-level intelligent driving technology into a more mainstream consumer market. From tool-type vehicles to family vehicles, from commuting small cars to intelligent flagship SUVs, Wuling's product matrix has completed a qualitative change.

Indonesia, More Than Just a Market

The delivery of EKSION in Jakarta is worth being amplified and interpreted because behind it is the construction of a set of "localization" capabilities.

Unlike the light mode of early Chinese car enterprises of "full vehicle export, overseas distribution", SAIC-GM-Wuling's investment in Indonesia is heavy asset, systematic. From manufacturing bases to supply chain systems, from sales networks to financial plans, to the training of local talent, Wuling has built a complete automotive industry ecosystem in Indonesia.

This also explains why Wuling can propose the "Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Integration" regional strategy. Indonesia, as the largest automotive market in ASEAN, is both a fulcrum and a model. Once the closed loop from manufacturing to sales to service is completed in Indonesia, this system can be quickly replicated in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and other surrounding countries.

Data shows that SAIC-GM-Wuling's cumulative overseas sales have broken 1.5 million units, business coverage exceeding 110 countries and regions. But more important than sales volume is the fact that it is outputting a set of "Chinese Standards"—from the flexible production method of the Smart Island Manufacturing System (I²MS) to the global management capability of supply chain collaboration.

Industrial Upgrade Behind "Moving Chains Out"

The so-called "Moving Chains Out" is essentially a dimensional upgrade of the traditional international trade model. In the past, China's automobile exports were more about "moving cars out", the product was sold out, the chain was cut. But Wuling's model is "Moving Chains Out"—moving manufacturing capability, supply chain relations, sales systems, financial services, talent standards all "out" together.

Among these, the most representative is the globally first Smart Island Manufacturing System. Traditional automobile production lines are "people finding cars, cars finding workstations", while the Smart Island model achieves "cars finding workstations, materials finding cars" flexible manufacturing, greatly improving production efficiency and multi-model mixed production capability. This manufacturing system is not only the source of Wuling's domestic competitiveness, but also becomes its technical foundation for quickly responding to local demand and achieving localized production in overseas markets.

Global Car, Chinese Heart

Back to EKSION itself. The delivery of this car in Indonesia is not only the latest step of Wuling's global strategy, it also has a deeper symbolic meaning: when Chinese automobile brands start to tailor products for overseas markets, rather than simply "exporting" domestic models, it means that China's automobile industry has completed the leap from "Going Out" to "Going In".

"Whatever people need, Wuling will build." This slogan, well-known in China, is now being given new connotations. What kind of cars do Indonesian people need? What kind of new energy products does the Southeast Asian market need? The answers to these questions are being written one by one by Wuling's R&D and manufacturing network in Jakarta, in Liuzhou, and around the world.

SAIC Group's 100 million vehicles is a period and also a comma. For Wuling, the real story, perhaps, has just begun.