western

Stellantis wanted to conquer China with his combustion cars. What has happened to almost any other western company has happened

by

The Changsha court has finally declared bankruptcy The Gac-Fiat Chrysler Automobiles joint company, thus closing the final chapter of Stellantis in the Asian giant. The news was already expected since 2022 when the group came into liquidation. After debts equivalent to more than 1.1 billion dollars and five failed public auctions, the dream of conquering the largest world car market ends in failure. The end of a 15 -year adventure. The Joint Venture GAC-FCA was born in 2011 With huge ambitions: 17,000 million investment yuan, two production and capacity plants for 300,000 vehicles per year. Under the baton of Sergio Marchionne, the project intended to bring brands such as Jeep and Fiat to the Chinese market with models adapted to local needs and trends, including the Jeep Renegade, Compass and Cherokee, in addition to the Fiat Viaggio and Ottimo. Free fall after initial success. After reaching its peak in 2017 With more than 200,000 units soldGac-FCA experienced an unstoppable descent. Sales collapsed to 124,780 units in 2018, continued to fall in 2019 and reduced just 20,396 units in 2021. Insufficient numbers for a market of more than 25 million vehicles per year and a muscle like Gac-FCA. The problem of combustion engines in China. While the Chinese market turned to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, Gac-FCA remained faithful to combustion engines. This strategy is over resulting fatal In a country where new technologies and electrification have become the norm. And it is that Chinese consumers have been opting for the electricity in an environment of high competitiveness between automobile manufacturers. The failed attempt to save yourself. In 2022, Carlos Tavares tried to recover control increasing Stellantis’s participation From 50% to 75%, but GAC publicly rejected the maneuver. The joint company entered into a restructuring process and, subsequently, in liquidation. Five public auctions to sell land, equipment and the two factories were deserted, something common in China where it is more profitable to build from zero electric vehicles. Historical symbolism. Stellantis withdrawal marks the end of a historic era. Jeep was the first foreign brand to make cars in China when AMC invested 16 million dollars in 1983 To produce the Cherokee XJ. Peugeot contributed in the mid -80s to the creation of GAC as a car manufacturer, transforming what was a bus repair workshop into a company produced by Peugeot 505. Citroën arrived in 1992 and came to manufacture 719,000 cars in 2015. Another western company in China Fallida. Stellantis’s case is not isolated. Is Another great western company that perishes in China Given the high competition, aggressive and regulatory costs of the country. It is the example that you don’t care who you are. Even Stellantis, the world’s largest car group (in terms of volume of brands and models), which began as a Peugeot partner and now has a full range of electric vehicles of its own creation, has not even been able to adapt to the Chinese market. The new strategy: ally with China. Paradoxically, after leaving China as a manufacturer, Stellantis returned as a investor. Carlos Tavares bought in 2023 21% of Leapmotora Chinese company of electric vehicles, with the intention of sell these cars in Europe “With a great margin of benefits.” A strategy that reflects the new reality: if you cannot compete with China, join it. Cover image | Dinkun Chen In Xataka | The most ambitious shopping center in China is not formed to sell: the Wushang Dream was a mini -city with a roof

The C929 wants to be the great leap of China in commercial aviation. For now, your heart remains in Western hands

by

For years, the domain of commercial sky has been in the hands of two giants: Airbus and Boeing. China wants to break that hegemony, and is willing to do it with its own name in the cabin. Comacthe China commercial aircraft corporationhe has been trying to make planes capable of competing with global references for years. First was the C919. Now, the bet is redoubled with The C929. This new model, even in a preliminary design phase, represents the most serious ambition of Beijing for placing a long -range plane on the international board. The objective is clear: to deal with heavyweights such as the Airbus A330neohe A350 or the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. And the figures accompany: capacity for about 280 passengers, an estimated autonomy of 12,000 kilometers and a design that, on paper, would allow to cover routes such as Beijing – New York. The internal deployment of C919: a discreet but strategic conquest The C919 has not conquered the global sky, but it has begun to take off within China. Since It was officially presented in 2017has gone through years of evidence, certifications and adjustments. SCMP points out thatas of June 2025, about 18 units fly domestic routes, mainly operated by airlines such as China Eastern. It may seem little, but the fact that it works only in China is not necessarily a failure. On the contrary: We talk about one of the largest aviation markets on the planet. And in that context, having its own plane capable of covering regional routes without depending on Western manufacturers is already, in itself, a strategic movement. The real commitment of Comac, however, is the C929. A plane from Width and long scope fuselage which aims to stand up to the most advanced models in the market. The project has won impulse in recent months: Air China signed an agreement To become a launch customer, and a supplier has reported that he hopes to deliver the first fuselage section in 2027. PROMOTIONAL IMAGE OF COMAC C-929 The development of C929 has a peculiar history. In the beginning, it was a joint effort with Russia. The project was then known as CR929, under the baton of a mixed company between Comac and the UAC Russian, called CRAIC (China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corporation). However, political tensions, the invasion of Ukraine and international sanctions on Moscow ended up forcing The dissolution of that alliance. Since 2023, Comac has moved on solo, turning C929 into an exclusively Chinese project. Comac has presented this plane highlighting several advanced technologies, including a Optimized aerodynamicsstate -of -the -art engines and integration of smart flight systems. In theory, it is a plane at the height of its western competitors. A C-919 Landing in China But there is a key detail: to fly, the C929 needs much more than Chinese wings. His “technological heart” continues to depend on the West. Safranthe French giant of the aerospace industry, He has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with COMAC to supply the brake system, ice detection, tire pressure sensors and oxygen system. For her part, the American Crane Aerospace will provide sensors for cabin doors. Although these agreements show that Comac is still able to attract international suppliers, they also put an uncomfortable reality on the table: their program remains, to a large extent, Tied to foreign technology. And that, in an uncertain global context, is a latent risk. The Russian precedent that China cannot ignore Russia offers a mirror. The latest Western sanctions cut off the country’s access to key components for its aeronautical industry. The TU-214a half-long reach that could transport between 155 and 210 passengers and fly to about 6,500 kilometers, was severely limited. Many of their critical systems depended on foreign technology. Moscow has worked since then in local substitutions, but possibly at the expense of performance and reliability. China, of course, has proven to be very resilient. He has dodged restrictions in sectors such as semiconductors, and has learned to convert traction obstacles. However, a change in United States commercial policy I could leave them without western engine. “If the US authorities prevent ge supplies the engine, then there will be no CFM engine,” A spokeswoman for Safran warned during the Paris Aeronautical Hall. Images | Comac In Xataka | The C919 Comac

China has turned the technological geopolitics around with three plays. Western supremacy is being blurred

by

China has been working with a very clear technological roadmap for years. Priority has not been to compete on equal terms with the West, but to reduce its exposure to other decisions. The strategy is not born with Trump’s sanctions or with Vetos to Huawei. He came from before, but that promoted it. And it continues its course. Why is it important. Who dominates the subjects imposes the rhythm, who manufactures chips has industrial autonomy and who trains AI models with billions of users can export technology. China is already at the three levels. In detail: → Raw materials China reinforces its position in the first link: access to strategic resources. It controls about 90% of rare earth processing, essential to manufacture all types of technology. The Ministry of Commerce has limited exports from Galio and Germaniowhich impacts key sectors such as solar panels, electric vehicles or radars. The European and the American industry They are not managing to find substitutes in the short term. And China, in addition to maintaining a national reserve for internal use, is regulating its exploitation with geopolitical criteria. → Semiconductors. After the western vetoes, the State assured mass resources to its national industry. Huawei, blocked by the United States, presented A 7 Nm chip manufactured by SMICwithout access to lithography EUV. It is not toe technology … but enough, at least for the moment. There are already patents to continue miniaturizing. The State Semiconductor Fund created a year ago Broken 50 billion dollars, and although total self -sufficiency is still far, the system is already working without access to the outside. → Ia. The great Chinese technology develop their own foundational models. Each has a different sector orientation, but everyone lives under the umbrella of the new national regulatory framework, which requires algorithms registration and validation. The result: more and more Chinese startups dedicated to AI (with brutal results such as Deepseek), and prioritization for direct application in public services, industry and education. What has happened. The sanctions borntoEron as a brake on Chinese development, but they have ended up being an accelerator. China reinforced its R&D centers, reorganized its patent system and gave state coverage to the most exposed technological. And the Ministry of Science and Technology prioritized concrete sectors defining specific objectives for AI, supercomputing and automation. In perspective. As we have told in numerous articles, China does not seek to replicate the western model, but to design their own aspiring to be self -sufficient and at the same time global provider. At least where the legislation allows you to sell. Huawei post-saunciones is a perfect example. Large Chinese technology do not compete for market share in the United States or Europe, but to influence Africa, Central Asia and Latin America, where their systems are already penetrating (ZTE, Huawei, Beidou…). And access to your solutions will be accompanied by your conditions. That includes software, infrastructure, etc. Between the lines. The strategy follows a sequential logic: Ensure resources. Guarantee industrial capacity. Consolidate leadership in innovation. Each phase depends on the previous one and each advance has political coverage. And now what. The next step will be to consolidate the model: AI with national identity, own standards and gradual international expansion. All with government support. In Xataka | Freeman Zhou in Unspash Outstanding image | China has proposed to be independent in all technologies. And for augmented reality it has “five dragons”

Good news for China, not so much for the western technology industry

by

The Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) has established a measure that will affect cobalt exports. No more cobalt? The market regulation and control authority of strategic mineral substances (Arecoms) has announced that cobalt exports will be detained for at least four months. According to He explained Its president, Patrick Luabya, the decision seeks to control the supply of cobalt in an international market that is facing an overproduction of metal. The importance of cobalt. There is a common metal that both electric vehicles and mobile devices and other technologies share: cobalt. In this century, I know has promoted its demand. However, the production of cobalt in the RDC, which represents around 70% of the world supply, has fallen together with the lithium. This has caused other cobalt producers, such as Russia and Australia, to win more prominence. The reason for the oversupply has been the increase in production by From the Chinese company CMOCsince he has doubled his extraction in two large mines in the country. This situation has had an impact on supply and demand, causing a price drop. In fact, according to Fastmarkets data, cobalt reference prices They have dropped out of 10 dollars per pounda level that had not been seen in more than 20 years. The current impact on the global market. Despite this fall, the markets have entered into tension with the measure taken by RDC. But they have been able to breathe calm because the suspension of exports have not meant an immediate change in the price of cobalt. However, market experts consider that, in the short term, this action could generate a market stiffnesssince cobalt stocks will accumulate in the RDC instead of going to Chinese deposits, as is often the case. China. Although the suspension of exports has not yet affected prices, this can benefit the Asian country. Chinese companies, which They already control A significant part of the offer and cobalt production may be strengthened from this crisis. In fact, China It has access to other cobalt sources Like Australia, Russia and Indonesia. Particularly the latter has great cobalt reservations and has experienced significant growth in its production. In addition, the Congo decision has reinforced China’s domain, while the West faces greater difficulties in ensuring essential materials for technological and energy sectors. In this way, the Asian country has taken a dominance position in front “The war of tariffs” against Donald Trump. It should be added that the latter You will need many materials That has China. The western technology industry. The measure has directly affected the technological sector of Europe and the United States, since they depend on the cobalt to make batteries of electric vehicles and electronic devices. However, the Democratic Republic of the Congo seeks to redefine its role in the global market And he has asked Europe and the United States for help through an agreement. In this approach, the African country has established an agreement by which they offer strategic minerals in exchange for support for the stability and development of the country. This proposition starts from the RDC is facing internal tensions. In particular, the east of the Congo is being the scene of armed conflictssome with alleged relationship with Rwandawhich has intensified the violence in rubber and bukavu, both border cities with Rwanda are known for their mines rich in different elements. With this proposal, the RDC expects to attract Western investment and reduce its dependence on China in the mining sector. It remains to be seen if the United States and Europe will accept the agreement, which would allow them to ensure more stable access to these strategic resources. Copper. It should be noted that the cobalt is mainly extracted as an byproduct of copper in the Congo. The suspension of cobalt exports It will not affect Production or copper exports, another key mineral that Congo also produces in large quantities. This means that, although the export of cobalt is limited, copper exports will follow its normal course, without important changes. The suspension of exports will continue for three more months and will be revalued. During this period we will have to be attentive to future actions of the West and as China will redraw the energy map. Image | The International Institute for Environment and Development (IED) Xataka | The cobalt is what triggers the price of batteries. Japan has just found a much cheaper alternative

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.