Embracing the New, Leading the Future: AI Transformation and Capital Opportunities in China's Automotive Industry

Currently, the automotive industry stands at a pivotal juncture where transformative changes of a century are accelerating. Over the past century, global competition in the sector has primarily centered on mechanical systems such as engines and transmissions. Today, with the rapid advancement of electrification, intelligent technologies, and particularly artificial intelligence reshaping the industry's fundamental logic, the automotive sector is embracing a historic opportunity to evolve from scale-driven growth to strength-based competitiveness and achieve breakthroughs through strategic realignment.

By 2025, China's automobile production and sales volumes will reach 34.531 million units and 34.4 million units respectively, maintaining its position as the global leader for 17 consecutive years. Among these, new energy vehicle production and sales volumes will reach 16.626 million units and 16.49 million units respectively, ranking first globally for 11 consecutive years. New energy vehicle sales accounted for 47.9% of total new vehicle sales, while automobile exports reached 7.098 million units. The scale advantage, market advantage, and application scenario advantage of China's automotive industry have become further highlighted.

On this foundation, AI is rapidly emerging as a pivotal factor shaping the competitive landscape of the automotive industry. It is fundamentally transforming the R&D, manufacturing, and product development paradigms of the sector, while also redefining the core rules of industrial competition. Consequently, we have titled this conference "Will AI Disrupt the Automotive Industry Landscape: Industrial Restructuring, Technological Breakthroughs, and Capital Opportunities Amid Intelligent Transformation." This theme not only represents one of the most pressing issues in the automotive industry today but also poses a critical challenge for automakers, component suppliers, technology companies, and capital markets alike.

The 2026 Government Work Report emphasized the need to comprehensively advance artificial intelligence and promote its adoption in key industries. Notably, the commercial and large-scale application of AI is fostering closer synergy between the automotive industry and capital markets. Over the past two years, the valuation criteria for the automotive sector in capital markets have rapidly shifted from traditional manufacturing metrics toward technological capabilities, intelligence levels, and global strategic positioning. In 2025, A-share IPOs raised a total of RMB 134.141 billion, while Hong Kong stock market IPOs led global exchanges in fundraising volume. A total of 40 automotive manufacturers and related enterprises—covering vehicle production, component supply chains, and intelligent driving solutions—were listed on both A-share and Hong Kong stock exchanges that year. An increasing number of companies across the automotive ecosystem are leveraging capital markets to strengthen R&D capabilities, expand overseas operations, and enhance their industrial ecosystems.

Of course, we must also recognize that AI empowering the automotive industry is by no means an overnight achievement. As technology evolves rapidly, issues such as security boundaries, standard systems, data governance, ethical guidelines, and commercial closed-loop mechanisms have emerged simultaneously. It is precisely at such moments that the industrial, technological, investment, and media sectors need to enhance communication, form more rational judgments, and build more constructive consensus. This underscores the significance of the Securities Daily's ongoing hosting of the Automotive Capital Conference. As a comprehensive financial and securities professional media outlet under the auspices of the Economic Daily and a leading platform for securities market information disclosure, the Securities Daily consistently focuses on the dynamic interaction between the automotive industry and capital forces, examines how technological breakthroughs translate into industrial advantages, and explores how industrial upgrading can better align with capital markets. We have always regarded the automotive industry as a key area of observation, advocating for its healthy development and telling compelling stories of China's automotive innovation, transformation, and global expansion. We hope this conference will continue to serve as a platform that facilitates deeper intellectual exchanges, enhances the efficiency of industry-capital collaboration, and transforms valuable insights into driving forces for industry progress. Moving forward with momentum and toward new horizons, dear guests and friends, China's automotive industry now stands at a critical juncture transitioning from size to strength. AI brings not merely a technological upgrade but may also trigger a systemic reshaping of industrial capabilities, organizational structures, and competitive rules. Those who demonstrate greater foresight, deeper insight, and more concrete actions will stand best positioned to secure a successful future. Finally, we wish this conference every success. Thank you all!