Amid fast-paced changes that fill the business community with excitement, angst and trepidation, EqualOcean will publish a series of roundup articles to document the major events related to Chinese companies going global every week.
Weekly Overview (28/06-04/07)
1.China’s Auto Exports Surpass 5 Million Units in First Half, with New Energy Vehicles Driving Growth
2.EU Imposes Anti-Dumping Duties on Chinese Tires, Raising Trade Barriers for Chinese Manufacturers
3.ChangXin Memory Technologies (长鑫科技) Launches STAR Market IPO Process, Accelerating Capitalization of China’s Memory Chip Industry
4.Luxshare Precision (立讯精密) Lists on Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Expanding Global Manufacturing Leadership Through “A+H” Capital Strategy
5.JD.com (京东) Acquisition of Ceconomy Approved in Germany, Strengthening European Retail Presence
6.Chery Automobile (奇瑞汽车) Launches South Africa Rosslyn Plant, Accelerating Overseas Local Manufacturing Strategy
7.Zeekr (极氪) 7X Receives Over 1,000 Orders in First Month of South Korea Pre-Sales, Expanding Chinese EV Brands in Korean Market
8.SAIC Hongyan (上汽红岩) Exports 1,000 New Energy Heavy Trucks to Thailand, Bringing Green Logistics Solutions to Southeast Asia
9.Hefei Zerith (合肥零次方) Completes Overseas Humanoid Robot Delivery, Marking Progress Toward Commercialization of Embodied AI
10.Unitree Robotics (宇树科技) IPO Registration Approved, Bringing Humanoid Robot Industry into Capital Market Stage
11.China’s Robot Exports Exceed 10 Million Units in First Five Months, Accelerating Global Expansion of Advanced Manufacturing
12.China’s Innovative Drug License-out Deals Approach USD 100 Billion in First Half, Signaling New Phase of Pharmaceutical Globalization
13.BYD (比亚迪) Energy Storage Secures 600MW Poland Project, Accelerating China’s New Energy Infrastructure Expansion Overseas
14.Chinese AI Models Enter US Enterprise Market, with Cost Advantages Driving Global Adoption
15.Amazon (亚马逊) Global Smart Hub Warehouse Lands in Yangtze River Delta, Pushing Cross-Border E-commerce Toward Supply Chain Competition
Selected Developments
1.Chery Expands Overseas Manufacturing with South Africa Plant, Highlighting Chinese Automakers’ Shift Toward Local Production
[Event] Recently, Chery Automobile (奇瑞汽车) officially launched operations at its Rosslyn production facility in South Africa, further advancing its local manufacturing and sales strategy in the region. The plant will strengthen Chery’s localized production capabilities in Southern Africa and become an important node in its global manufacturing network.
In recent years, Chinese automakers have been shifting from vehicle exports toward localized production overseas. By building factories abroad, companies can not only reduce logistics costs and mitigate trade barriers, but also participate more deeply in local supply chains and enhance long-term competitiveness in regional markets.
As China’s new energy vehicle industry accelerates its global expansion, overseas manufacturing capacity is becoming a critical component of automakers’ international strategies. Future competition among Chinese automotive brands will extend beyond products and technologies to global production networks, distribution channels, and localized operations.
2. Hefei Zerith Completes Overseas Humanoid Robot Delivery, Signaling Commercial Validation of Embodied AI
[Event] Recently, Hefei Zerith (合肥零次方) completed the overseas delivery of its ZERITH-H1 wheeled humanoid robots, shipping multiple units to a laboratory in Malaysia. The delivery marks the first overseas deployment of a complete humanoid robot system by a company from Hefei, indicating that Chinese embodied AI products are entering real-world application scenarios.
Over the past few years, competition in the humanoid robot sector has primarily focused on technology demonstrations and laboratory validation. As overseas customers begin purchasing and deploying robots, Chinese companies are moving from technological development toward commercial validation, using real-world feedback to accelerate product iteration and industrial development.
Embodied AI is widely considered one of the next major directions in the AI industry. Leveraging China’s manufacturing capabilities, supply chain advantages, and engineering expertise, Chinese robotics companies are exploring new paths from technological breakthroughs to global commercial deployment.
3. BYD Expands Energy Storage Presence in Europe with 600MW Poland Project, Accelerating China’s New Energy Infrastructure Globalization
[Event] Recently, BYD (比亚迪) Energy Storage announced a 600MW energy storage project in Poland, further expanding its presence in Europe’s renewable energy infrastructure market. The project will introduce Chinese energy storage technology into Europe’s energy system and support local renewable energy integration and grid stability.
As the global energy transition accelerates, demand for energy storage systems continues to grow in overseas markets. Compared with the earlier export-focused approach, Chinese new energy companies are increasingly transforming into integrated energy solution providers by expanding into energy storage, grid services, and local infrastructure projects.
Europe has become a key competitive market for Chinese new energy companies. Going forward, overseas competitiveness will depend not only on manufacturing efficiency and technological capabilities, but also on project delivery, localized services, and long-term operational capabilities.
4. EU Imposes Anti-Dumping Duties on Chinese Tires, Highlighting Rising Trade Barriers for Chinese Manufacturers
[Event] Recently, the European Commission announced anti-dumping duties on passenger car, light truck, and bus tires imported from China, with rates reaching up to 45.3%. The EU stated that Chinese tire products were entering the European market at unfairly low prices and causing damage to the local tire industry.
The policy adjustment reflects the changing trade environment facing Chinese manufacturers during global expansion. The traditional model of entering overseas markets through cost advantages and supply chain efficiency is increasingly being challenged by tariffs, trade investigations, and local industrial protection measures.
As global industrial competition intensifies, Chinese companies expanding overseas will need to strengthen overseas manufacturing capabilities, local supply chains, and compliance management. Moving from “exporting products” toward “operating globally” will become a key strategy for manufacturers navigating international markets.
5. Chinese AI Models Enter US Enterprise Market, Cost Advantages Drive Global Adoption
[Event] Recently, multiple Chinese AI companies’ large language models have begun expanding into the US enterprise market, gaining attention in areas such as developer tools and enterprise services. With lower usage costs and rapid iteration capabilities, Chinese AI models are attempting to compete in the global AI application ecosystem.
Compared with leading Western AI companies, Chinese AI firms have developed differentiated advantages in model optimization, application deployment, and cost efficiency. Some companies are accelerating overseas adoption by offering open APIs, reducing inference costs, and optimizing models for specific industry scenarios.
As global AI competition shifts from model capabilities toward commercial applications, Chinese AI companies are also changing their globalization strategies. Future success in overseas markets will require not only technological capabilities, but also localized sales channels, ecosystem partnerships, and ongoing customer support.
6. Amazon’s Global Smart Hub Warehouse in Yangtze River Delta Signals Shift Toward Supply Chain Competition in Cross-Border E-commerce
[Event] Recently, Amazon (亚马逊) established a global smart supply chain hub in the Yangtze River Delta region, further strengthening logistics and warehousing capabilities for Chinese sellers connecting with global markets. The project will leverage intelligent warehousing, supply chain management, and cross-border logistics systems to improve operational efficiency and enhance global market responsiveness.
Over the past decade, China’s cross-border e-commerce growth has been driven largely by manufacturing advantages, platform traffic, and international logistics capabilities. However, as overseas competition intensifies, relying solely on low-cost production and direct shipping models is becoming increasingly insufficient for long-term growth.
In the future, cross-border e-commerce competition will shift from “selling products globally” to “operating global markets.” Overseas warehouses, local inventory management, supply chain digitalization, and brand building capabilities will become essential foundations for Chinese companies expanding internationally. Supply chain capabilities are emerging as a core competitive advantage in global e-commerce.