In August 2026, the 25,000th vehicle rolled off the production line at the Coega plant of FAW Jiefang South Africa, marking an important milestone in Africa's commercial vehicle manufacturing industry.

The Coega plant officially went into production in July 2014, with a total investment of 600 million rand. Jointly funded by FAW and the China-Africa Development Fund, it is one of the largest foreign-invested projects in South Africa's commercial vehicle manufacturing industry. Since the 1,000th vehicle rolled off the line in 2015, the plant's production capacity has been ramping up at an accelerating pace: surpassing 5,000 units in 2019, crossing the 10,000-unit mark in 2023, and reaching 20,000 units in July 2025. Notably, the leap from 20,000 to 25,000 units took just 11 months.

FAW Jiefang South Africa has been deepening its presence in the southern African market, developing products tailored to the region's demanding long-haul transport conditions through localized adaptation. Heavy-duty products, led by the JH6, offer a clear competitive edge in total cost of ownership (TCO) thanks to strong fuel economy, outstanding durability and a service network covering southern Africa, winning the trust of a growing number of local fleet operators. In March 2026, the all-new flagship model, the Jiefang J7, was officially launched, further enriching the product portfolio for the premium logistics market.

FAW Jiefang South Africa has been advancing localized operations and playing an active part in building the local industrial chain. This year, the company has focused on capacity expansion and digital transformation projects at the Coega plant. As of early June, 20 production equipment upgrades had been completed, and the digital production project in the final assembly workshop is now up and running. In the second half of the year, the company plans to advance the digital upgrade of its logistics system; under the plan, annual production capacity will be raised from the originally designed 5,000 units to 8,000 units by 2028. Meanwhile, the Coega plant has set up a new training facility, where about 2,500 people have completed training and received certification to date, a program that has drawn positive feedback from the South African government and trade unions.

The Coega plant has made FAW Jiefang the brand with the largest export scale among South Africa's commercial vehicle manufacturers. Its products not only serve South Africa's domestic market but are also exported to Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states and Indian Ocean island regions under the framework of regional trade agreements in Africa. This marks the continued deepening of FAW Jiefang's global footprint in the African market and showcases the strength of Chinese commercial vehicle brands in competing there.

Moving forward, FAW Jiefang South Africa will continue to increase its localization investment and deepen its presence in Africa's commercial vehicle market with products and services better tailored to market demand.

FAW is a leading global manufacturer of quality passenger cars, trucks, and buses. Established in 1953, the company is China’s oldest and largest automotive group. Annual sales exceed three million units.

| Editor: Duying
| Initial Review: Chen Duohua
| Second Review: Liu Shumei
| Final Review: Li Xiang

On August 24, FAW and Leapmotor held a signing ceremony in Changchun for an agreement to deepen strategic cooperation. Liu Yigong, President of FAW and Deputy Secretary of its Party Committee, and Zhu Jiangming, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Leapmotor, attended the event and witnessed the signing.

Under the agreement, the two sides will engage in in-depth collaboration in areas including capital cooperation, new energy vehicles, assisted and intelligent driving, powertrains, power batteries, intelligent chassis, body process equipment, lightweight components, embodied intelligent robots and finance, jointly enhancing their technological innovation capabilities and market competitiveness.

Since the strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding was signed in March 2025, FAW and Leapmotor have steadily advanced equity investment, the joint development and market introduction of new energy vehicles, and the building of industrial chains and ecosystem. The first model jointly developed on the basis of their complementary advantages is about to enter mass production, and Qixin Power hybrid engines will serve as supporting components for Leapmotor's global models, marking positive progress in their cooperation.

Looking ahead, FAW and Leapmotor will jointly write a new chapter of comprehensive and in-depth cooperation built on "capital + industry + product + technology + ecosystem". The two sides will efficiently coordinate all available resources, pool their strength for collaborative innovation, and jointly create a new landscape of integrated and symbiotic development, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of China's new energy vehicle industry.

As a leading player in China's automobile industry, FAW has stayed true to its mission of "strengthening the country through industry and manufacturing" since its founding in 1953, working to advance the nation's automobile industry, shoulder the responsibilities of the times, and consistently deliver automotive products of leading technology and superior quality to users. To date, FAW's cumulative vehicle sales have exceeded 66 million units, making significant contributions to the development of China's automobile industry. In recent years, FAW has adhered to a development strategy that combines independent innovation across the entire industrial chain with open cooperation, accelerating its transformation into a technology-driven enterprise.

As a technology-driven smart NEV manufacturer, Leapmotor has adhered to full-domain independent R&D and deep in-house manufacturing. It masters core technologies accounting for over 65 percent of total vehicle cost, achieves a platform commonality rate of over 88 percent, and has built 18 in-house plants for core components. Through sustained technological innovation, the company has developed better-equipped, high-quality products at competitive prices. Leapmotor has sustained rapid growth in recent years, with sales hitting record highs both at home and abroad. In the first seven months of this year, Leapmotor delivered 457,800 vehicles, up 68.4 percent year-on-year.

FAW is a leading global manufacturer of quality passenger cars, trucks, and buses. Established in 1953, the company is China’s oldest and largest automotive group. Annual sales exceed three million units.

| Editor: Duying
| Initial Review: Chen Duohua
| Second Review: Liu Shumei
| Final Review: Li Xiang

China FAW's Hongqi workshop. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

CHANGCHUN, August 24 (JILIN CHINA) -- Qiu Xiandong, chairman of China FAW, outlined Hongqi's technology development strategy at the China FAW Technology Conference on Aug 21 in Changchun, Jilin province, establishing FAW's value anchors and defining Hongqi brand aspirations with five genes: Safety & Security, Intelligence, Green, Health, and Taste.

"Looking ahead, Safety & Security will evolve from individual protection into a comprehensive system covering all scenarios and the entire vehicle life-cycle," said Qiu. "Intelligence will advance from single function to proactive vehicle coordination; Green will expand from individual energy-conservation and emissions-reduction to coordinated low-carbon development across the entire value chain; Health will extend from interior environmental health to physical and mental well-being throughout every journey; and Taste will go beyond aesthetic design to emphasize deep integration of oriental luxury and technical experience."

China FAW's automated automobile production line. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

He emphasized that "the five brand genes form the underlying logic of our technological innovation" and that the company "will continue to transform Hongqi brand aspirations into mobility lifestyles that users can perceive and experience".

Three major technology platforms lay a solid foundation for realizing Hongqi brand aspirations. The Tiangong Platform focuses on advanced battery-electric propulsion and intelligent control, aiming to achieve breakthroughs in kilovolt super-fast charging and AI-powered chassis systems. Over the medium to long term, the platform will advance in-wheel direct-drive technology and the integrated control of propulsion, braking, steering, and suspension systems.

The Honghu Platform emphasizes efficient powertrains and intelligent energy management, while developing highly integrated emergency range extenders and carbon-neutral engines.

The Jiuzhang Platform concentrates on scenario-based intelligence, exploring the integrated evolution of cockpits with driving-control systems and the large-scale deployment of autonomous driving and AI-powered cockpits.

Facilitated by the five brand genes and the three major platforms, Hongqi is developing 10 strategic tasks, which span the entire value chain from core energy technologies to the mobility ecosystem. Solid-state battery and vehicle-to-grid technologies focus on achieving breakthroughs in energy density and bidirectional charging and discharging, exploring new applications for energy storage and replenishment, with solid-state batteries regarded as the ultimate solution for automotive power.

One of China FAW's production models. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

China FAW has made achievements in key technologies including low-voltage cell design and thermal-buffering structures for battery modules. It has also established a 25 MWh pilot production line for solid-state battery cells, achieved small-batch production of large-capacity cells, and steadily improved the line's overall yield rate.

China's first innovation center dedicated to all-scenario automotive additive manufacturing was also inaugurated during the conference. Equipped with eight major additive-manufacturing processes and 43 sets of industrial print equipment, the center has an annual production capacity of approximately 19,000 components.

Over the past six years, China FAW has achieved breakthroughs in 1,741 key core technologies, and plans to recruit 10,000 professionals in strategically important fields in the next five years.

"We will integrate into China's national strategic science and technology system by utilizing major national research platforms and premium innovation resources, as well as innovation consortia led by State-owned enterprises," said Qiu, adding that the company will "concentrate innovation resources in priority fields and accelerate the transformation of technological achievements into tangible productivity".

| Editor: Duying
| Initial Review: Chen Duohua
| Second Review: Liu Shumei
| Final Review: Li Xiang