Published on: 2026-07-09
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Spanish automotive company EBRO and the Chinese company Chery recently launched a new production line at their joint venture in Barcelona, while the German conglomerate Volkswagen has established a full development cycle of a new automotive platform — “from concept to market launch” — at its research center in the Chinese city of Hefei. Thus, on the one hand, this is the mastering of new technologies from China’s advanced industries, and on the other hand, the concentration of innovative power through a deep presence in the Chinese market. These two examples demonstrate two different approaches to leveraging the “China 2.0 opportunity.”
As a major economy in the EU and one of the leading car-producing countries, Spain has a mature automotive industrial base, a favorable geographic location connecting the markets of Europe and North Africa, as well as a relatively favorable political environment. For Chinese automakers, Spain is an important entry point to the European market. For Spain itself, the capital, technology, orders, and supply chain opportunities brought by Chinese companies precisely meet the country’s needs for electrification and smartization of the automotive industry, as well as for reindustrialization.
The entry of Chinese companies into the Spanish market is not just about “selling cars”: they bring a whole range of opportunities to Spain, including the production of finished vehicles, battery manufacturing, supply of components, and job creation. EBRO Group President Rafael Ruiz noted that the choice of a Chinese company as a partner is driven by the desire to attract new technologies and manufacturing expertise in the automotive sector to Spain, converting them into local industrial capacity and employment opportunities.
If Spain has chosen the path of “attracting Chinese capabilities to itself,” German automakers prefer to actively “move towards” China. Today, China is not only the largest automotive market in the world but also an innovation hub setting trends in the electrification and smart technology of automobile manufacturing. More and more foreign companies are adopting the “development in China” model, turning their production bases in the country into centers of innovation generation, thereby strengthening their own global competitiveness. In this context, German automotive giants such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz view the Chinese market not just as a final sales market but as a kind of “training ground” to strengthen their own capabilities.
According to an innovation survey published in April by the German Chamber of Commerce in China, the overall share of German automotive companies conducting research and innovation activities in China reached 73%. According to 81% of German automakers, the localization of R&D in China has significantly accelerated their development.
The Chairman of the Board of the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade of Germany, Michael Schuman, noted that today one often hears discussions about the so-called “Chinese shock,” yet more than 5,000 German companies continue to operate in China. “If they were not getting returns, they would most likely have left a long time ago,” he said. For these companies, China is not a risk to be avoided, but an opportunity to be utilized. Competition certainly exists, but it does not in itself constitute a threat. The real question is whether European companies can learn in a competitive environment and raise their level through cooperation.
Spain uses Chinese technologies to revive the local industrial ecosystem. Germany increases its global competitiveness in the huge Chinese market. The paths are different, the conclusion is the same: China is a partner and, moreover, a source of opportunities.
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