Any doubts that China has become the heartland of the global car industry
are quickly dispelled by a visit to the country's main motor show.
Beijing's crowded event this year was twice as large as in 2024
(it moves to Shanghai on alternate years) with around 180 new cars on display.
The show, which concluded on May 3rd,
demonstrated once again that foreign carmakers are lagging behind their Chinese rivals
in the race to the industry's future.
Yet the show also illustrated the extent
to which foreign carmakers are looking to remake themselves
in the image of their ascendant Chinese competitors.
At events to launch new models
Western executives from Volkswagen (VW) and Mercedes
switched effortlessly between English and Mandarin.
VW opted to round off its show
with a display of interpretive Chinese dance set to electronic music;
Mercedes went for a Chinese rap.
To stem their loss of market share,
carmakers around the world are looking to become more like their Chinese competitors
—and not just when operating in China.
So they might.