From May 15 to May 17, the "18th Xuanyuan Automotive Blue Book Forum" was held in Guangzhou, themed "Turning Point."
Shu Xueming, Assistant General Manager of the International Business Division at CHERY AUTO's International Department, stated in his speech that CHERY AUTO is not only engaged in automotive manufacturing but is also expanding into the robotics industry. During this year's global dealer conference, several countries signed cooperation agreements with the company for robotics. CHERY AUTO's robots have already entered overseas 4S stores and are deployed for road duty in multiple domestic cities, such as Wuhu, where a large number of CHERY AUTO robots are performing duty tasks.
He pointed out that when Chinese companies expand internationally, they may initially focus solely on selling products. However, as sales gradually increase, CHERY AUTO has collaborated with numerous overseas partners, subsidiaries, and users to carry out a series of social public welfare activities related to users. Whether in South Africa, Mexico, Kazakhstan, or during the earthquake in Turkey, the company has engaged in relevant public welfare cooperation activities. This has significantly contributed to brand enhancement, allowing local communities to perceive CHERY AUTO as a company with warmth, not merely a product seller.
Regarding product internationalization, Shu Xueming mentioned that the company has established four stringent internal requirements. Just as not all countries have Chinese restaurants, automotive internationalization is far more complex than simply certifying domestic vehicles and selling them overseas.
The first requirement is regulatory development. China has its own automotive industry regulations, Europe has its standards, and countries like Mexico and Brazil each have distinct laws and regulations. Regulatory development is the most fundamental condition; only after passing local regulatory certifications can CHERY AUTO's products qualify for entry into overseas markets.
The second is adaptive development. He noted that the world is vast, and overseas natural environments differ significantly from those in China. Initially, it was believed that China's diverse natural conditions, from north to south, could cover all overseas environments, but this is not the case. For example, in Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, summer temperatures are extremely high—if one wears shoes with glued rubber soles, the soles may detach after just half an hour of walking, reflecting the extreme heat conditions. Another example is Indonesia in Southeast Asia, where the rainy season brings heavy precipitation, often resulting in standing water several tens of centimeters deep. Without targeted adaptive development, the company's vehicles would fail to meet local natural condition requirements. Additionally, regions like South America and Mexico have long slopes spanning over ten to twenty kilometers, posing stringent technical challenges for vehicles. Therefore, the core of adaptive development is to ensure that the company's vehicles can operate effectively and reliably in local conditions, fully adapting to the natural environment.
The third is competitive development. Merely meeting regulatory requirements and ensuring normal operation is insufficient; vehicles must also possess competitive advantages in the market. Following product research logic, the company's products must have their own appealing configurations and deeply understand customers' underlying needs. It is not enough to simply distribute surveys or offer small gifts to capture genuine customer demands; this is the core of competitive development.
The fourth is differentiated development. As the company's overseas sales continue to grow, it has launched many exclusive models for overseas markets. For instance, in the Southeast Asian market, vehicles measuring 4.2 to 4.3 meters can accommodate seven seats, whereas domestic vehicles measuring 5.2 meters typically remain five-seaters—a clear example of differentiation. Currently, the company has developed multiple differentiated platforms and products tailored for overseas markets, aiming to precisely understand consumer demands through such differentiated development and ensure that the products closely align with the actual needs of overseas users.