At the Oct. 29–30 China Embraces the World automotive forum, Zhao Fuquan,
director of Tsinghua University’s Institute of Automotive Industry and
Technology Strategy, said tariffs, geopolitical risk, weak after‑sales networks
and poor residual‑value management are increasingly constraining overseas
expansion. He warned Southeast Asia is already seeing price wars and market
inward‑competition, so carmakers can no longer rely on going abroad to escape
domestic pressure. Zhao said globalization must prioritize global resources
coordination, cross‑region platform reuse, autonomous regional profitability and
two‑way innovation flows. Carmakers should establish a four‑layer global
operating model—strategy, capabilities, operations and safeguards—and use new
joint ventures as a key tool, adopting market‑by‑market, barrier‑sensitive
strategies and shifting focus from scale expansion to profitability and
sustainable growth.
