appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Xinyi Wu

Chinese and German carmakers met in their first joint working group session of the year to align standards for smart connected vehicles, aiming for cooperation amid mounting trade friction over Chinese exports to Europe.
More than 40 representatives from industry bodies, research institutes and carmakers – including China’s BYD, Geely, SAIC, Xpeng and Xiaomi, alongside Germany’s Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and Porsche – attended the meeting in Beijing, according to a statement by the China Automotive Standardisation Research Institute on Thursday.
The two sides discussed China’s autonomous driving pilot programmes, European safety guidelines for driver assistance on semi-automated cars, and automated parking standards. The delegations also launched a joint Sino-German research project on standardising cross-border automotive data flows.
The push for cooperation comes as Chinese carmakers seek to validate their driverless technology in European markets, which have become increasingly important as sales growth lags at home.

Autonomous driving start-up Momenta was the first Chinese company to secure nationwide urban road testing approval for Level 4 – the same level of automation used in commercial robotaxis – in Germany, according to a company announcement on Wednesday.
Tensions have been brewing between China and Europe over growing trade imbalances and concerns about excess Chinese manufacturing capacity in sectors such as electric vehicles, solar panels and steel.
Europe’s automotive sector is under pressure as low-cost competition from Chinese rivals squeezes operating margins and accelerates domestic restructuring.
In the past week, major German carmakers have signalled significant workforce reductions to curb costs. BMW planned to eliminate as many as 8,000 jobs by late 2027, according to media reports citing company sources, while Porsche announced it would cut around 9,000 positions – representing one in five jobs in its workforce – by 2035.

Meanwhile, China’s auto exports have continued to rise. Chinese carmakers overtook Japanese rivals in Europe in new car sales for the first time in May, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
Following a recent tit-for-tat escalation in sanctions, tariffs and trade probes, Beijing and Brussels are attempting to ease tensions ahead of an October deadline for a new round of trade talks.
Working teams from China and the European Union had held more than 20 meetings in the past month, following an initial round of trade talks in Brussels between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his European counterpart Maros Sefcovic, commerce ministry spokesman He Yadong said on Thursday.
“China is ready … to explore practical, workable solutions to each side’s concerns in trade and economics,” He said.


Trump claims US Greenland security deal, China reportedly among adversaries being kept out

Are the doors to German universities closing for China’s STEM researchers?

Pascal Lamy says Europe at ‘moment of truth’ on China trade

Brussels announces dates for second round of China-EU trade talks in Beijing next month

China-EU relations

China, Germany aim to align on smart vehicle standards amid escalating trade friction

The assembly line for smart EVs at Geely’s Automotive Manufacturing Base in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, on December 12, 2024. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

The logo of Chinese autonomous driving start-up Momenta is seen on the facade of its office building in Beijing, March 13, 2020. Photo: Reuters

Flags with the Mercedes logo are seen in front of the Mercedes-Benz customer centre in Sindelfingen, Germany on February 13, 2023. Photo: AFP

Economy

The push for cooperation comes as Chinese carmakers seek to validate their driverless technology in European markets


The push for cooperation comes as Chinese carmakers seek to validate their driverless technology in European markets.


China, Germany aim to align on smart vehicle standards amid escalating trade friction

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The push for cooperation comes as Chinese carmakers seek to validate their driverless technology in European markets

The push for cooperation comes as Chinese carmakers seek to validate their driverless technology in European markets