BEIJING, March 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At China’s annual Two Sessions, Feng Xingya, Chairman of GAC Group, proposed promoting "standards going global," drawing significant attention from the country’s automotive and foreign trade sectors. The proposal highlights the need for China’s auto industry to strengthen its global competitiveness by improving regulatory alignment and building stronger compliance capabilities in overseas markets.
The initial stage of China’s automotive exports focused largely on delivering vehicles abroad; the next phase will require deeper integration into international markets. Automakers now face increasingly complex regulatory environments, including evolving requirements related to safety, environmental protection, and software systems and data governance. Differences in certification procedures and technical standards across markets can significantly increase the time and cost required for companies to introduce new models overseas.
Feng’s proposal calls for building a more systematic compliance and standards framework to support overseas expansion. Key measures include establishing shared compliance service systems for the industry, promoting the alignment of Chinese standards with international rules, and encouraging greater coordination among companies to reduce duplicated certification processes and lower market-entry costs.
GAC’s internationalization strategy reflects this approach. Under its "One GAC" strategy and "ecosystem-driven globalization," the company has expanded localized manufacturing and supply chains in overseas markets. GAC has established KD plants in five countries, while strengthening sales, service and energy-support networks to support sustainable long-term growth abroad.
GAC’s overseas sales increased 47% year-on-year, leading growth among major Chinese automotive groups. GAC’s overseas momentum has continued into 2026. After achieving a strong start in January, GAC’s overseas sales in February surged 114% year-on-year. In the first two months of the year, GAC’s cumulative overseas sales increased 86% year-on-year, highlighting strong momentum in international markets.
Chinese automakers move from exporting vehicles to exporting technology, ecosystems and standards, initiatives such as "standards going global" may help strengthen China’s role in shaping the future global automotive landscape.
