Amid fast-paced changes that fill the business community with excitement, angst and trepidation, EqualOcean will publish a series of roundup articles to document the major events related to Chinese companies going global every week.
Weekly Overview (09/08-15/08)
1.CATL（宁德时代） Secures 3 GWh Battery Storage Supply Deal with ContourGlobal for Projects in Scotland, Greece and Chile
2.WeRide（文远知行） Q2 Overseas Revenue Jumps 164%, Partners with Uber（优步） on Madrid Robotaxi Pilot
3.JD Logistics（京东物流） Partners with Fast Retailing（迅销集团）, Parent Company of UNIQLO（优衣库）, to Build Global Supply Chain Network
4.Chinese Open-Source AI Models Gain Traction in Africa as Their Share of OpenRouter Usage Nears 50% Globally
5.CAAM（中国汽车工业协会）: China’s Auto Exports Reach 6.14 Million in First Seven Months, NEV Exports Surge 120%
6.Alibaba Cloud（阿里云） to Boost Global Modular Data Center Capacity by More Than Twofold, AI-Related Revenue Tops 30% of External Commercial Revenue
7.BYD（比亚迪） All-Electric K-Car RACCO Receives Over 1,000 Orders in Japan Within Two Weeks of Launch
8.CRSC（中国通号） Wins Cairo Metro Signaling Upgrade and Phu Quoc Tram Contract, Entering Vietnam’s Rail Transit Systems-Integration Market for the First Time
9.Alibaba（阿里巴巴） Launches Qwen Open Platform, Further Opening Its AI Model Ecosystem to Developers
10.SpacemiT（进迭时空） Flagship RISC-V K3 Secures Overseas Orders After Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon Deployment
11.Jiangsu Rainbow Heavy Industries（润邦股份） Signs Shipbuilding Deal Worth Up to CNY 3.3 Billion with European Shipowner
12.Guizhou Tyre（贵州轮胎） Completes Overseas Investment Filing for 6-Million-Tire Manufacturing Project in Morocco
13.EHang（亿航智能） EH216-S Completes Central Asia’s First Pilotless Passenger-Carrying eVTOL Flight in Kazakhstan
14.Apple（苹果） Tests CXMT（长鑫存储） DRAM Chips for iPhones and MacBooks, Signaling Potential Supply-Chain Breakthrough
15.SEALIEN ROBOTICS（深海智人） Raises Over CNY 500 Million in Series A, Secures Several Hundred Million Yuan in Overseas Robot Orders
Selected Developed
1. CATL Secures 3 GWh Overseas Energy Storage Order from ContourGlobal
[Event] CATL（宁德时代） has signed an agreement with global independent power producer ContourGlobal to supply approximately 3 GWh of battery energy storage systems for projects in Scotland, Greece and Chile. The package consists of 526 containerized units using lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, technology, marking another major overseas utility-scale storage order for the Chinese battery giant.
The agreement covers 526 containerized battery storage units, each rated at 5.64 MWh and configured for four hours of continuous discharge. The systems use CATL’s liquid-cooled integrated BESS technology built around large-format LFP cells. ContourGlobal operates power-generation and renewable-energy assets across multiple regions, and the deal further embeds CATL’s storage systems into grid infrastructure in both developed and emerging markets.
2. WeRide’s Q2 Overseas Revenue Jumps 164% as Madrid Robotaxi Pilot Takes Shape
[Event] WeRide（文远知行） reported a 164% year-on-year increase in overseas revenue in the second quarter of 2026, with operations now spanning more than 60 cities across 13 countries. The autonomous-driving company is also working with Uber（优步） and AVOMO to launch Spain’s first commercial Robotaxi pilot in the Madrid region later this year, extending their partnership into Europe for the first time.
The planned Madrid deployment will mark the fourth joint Robotaxi market for WeRide and Uber and their first joint entry into Europe. The service is expected to begin operations later in 2026 in cooperation with the regional government of Madrid. Initial operations are expected to retain safety operators before moving progressively toward greater levels of automation.
WeRide’s overseas expansion relies heavily on an asset-light model combining autonomous-driving technology with local operating partners. Compared with building and operating an entire mobility network independently, this approach makes it easier to enter markets with different regulatory and operating environments. Partnering with a global ride-hailing platform such as Uber also gives WeRide access to an existing user base, fleet ecosystem and local operating infrastructure.
More broadly, Chinese autonomous-driving companies are moving from overseas testing and demonstration projects toward commercial deployment, with Europe and the Middle East emerging as key markets. Regulatory approval, insurance, data-security requirements and the economics of fleet operations, however, will continue to determine how quickly Robotaxi services can scale profitably.
3. JD Logistics Partners with Fast Retailing to Build Global Supply Chain Network
[Event] JD Logistics（京东物流） has entered into a strategic partnership with Fast Retailing（迅销集团）, the parent company of UNIQLO（优衣库） and GU, to jointly develop a global logistics and supply-chain network. The partnership will extend JD Logistics’ warehousing, fulfillment and digital supply-chain capabilities into overseas markets, marking a further shift from supporting Chinese e-commerce exports toward providing infrastructure for global brands.
The two companies plan to promote greater automation, digitalization and sustainability across Fast Retailing’s logistics operations. JD Logistics will also help develop overseas delivery systems for Fast Retailing brands, including UNIQLO, with the aim of improving efficiency and reducing logistics costs.
For years, much of the international expansion by Chinese logistics providers was tied either to Chinese cross-border sellers or to the overseas operations of their parent retail platforms. The Fast Retailing partnership points to a different role: Chinese logistics companies increasingly providing inventory, fulfillment and supply-chain services directly to established international brands.
As global trade becomes more fragmented and companies diversify production and warehouse locations, logistics providers with end-to-end digital capabilities are becoming more valuable. For JD Logistics, the deal is another step toward becoming a global supply-chain service provider rather than primarily a domestic e-commerce fulfillment company. At the industry level, it also illustrates how supply-chain capabilities developed in China are beginning to spill over into global commerce.
4. Chinese Open-Source AI Models Gain Traction in Africa as Global Adoption Rises
[Event] Chinese open-source and open-weight AI models are gaining traction across overseas markets, including Africa, as developers look for lower-cost and more customizable alternatives to proprietary systems. Alibaba（阿里巴巴）’s Qwen family has become particularly important for African-language applications, with developers in Uganda using Qwen-based models to improve coverage of local languages that remain poorly served by mainstream LLMs.
The broader rise of Chinese models can also be seen on platforms such as OpenRouter, where Chinese-developed models have captured a rapidly growing share of usage. The exact percentage varies substantially depending on the period and measurement methodology, so the “nearly half” figure is better treated as an indicator of global adoption rather than a specific measure of African usage.
Africa helps explain why these models can be competitive. In markets where access to computing resources and foreign currency is more constrained, relatively inexpensive and customizable open models can lower the barrier to building local AI products. Qwen-based systems, for example, are already being adapted to languages spoken in Uganda, addressing areas where large global models still provide uneven coverage.
The competitive dimension of AI is therefore expanding beyond benchmark performance toward accessibility, deployment cost and ecosystem reach. For Chinese AI companies, open models can serve not only as technology exports but also as a way to build overseas developer communities and establish longer-term ecosystem influence. Model quality, licensing, compliance and sustained localization support will determine whether that adoption translates into durable market positions.
5. China’s Auto Exports Reach 6.14 Million in First Seven Months as NEV Shipments More Than Double
[Event] Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers（中国汽车工业协会，CAAM） showed that China exported 6.14 million vehicles in the first seven months of 2026, up 66.8% year on year. July exports reached 1.043 million units, marking the second consecutive month above one million. New-energy vehicle exports totaled 2.909 million units during the January-July period, up 1.2 times from a year earlier and becoming a major driver of export growth.
In July alone, China exported 553,000 NEVs, up 145.5% year on year, while exports of conventional-fuel vehicles reached 490,000 units, up 40%. NEVs accounted for more than half of China’s monthly vehicle exports for the second consecutive month.
The figures underscore the accelerating globalization of China’s automotive industry. Compared with an earlier phase dominated by exports of competitively priced internal-combustion vehicles, growth is increasingly being driven by electric and intelligent vehicles, accompanied by greater investment in overseas manufacturing, distribution and after-sales infrastructure.
Rapid export growth is also increasing pressure on Chinese automakers to localize. Trade barriers, regulatory requirements and competition in overseas markets mean that simply shipping more vehicles will not be enough. The next phase will depend increasingly on localization, brand positioning, service networks and sustainable margins — shifting the industry’s focus from export volume toward the quality of global operations.
The way Chinese energy-storage companies expand overseas is also evolving. Early competition centered heavily on cell costs and equipment prices, while overseas customers are increasingly focused on system safety, grid integration and lifecycle services. Unlike standalone battery-cell exports, utility-scale BESS contracts require integrated capabilities across batteries, thermal management, power electronics and system engineering.
As grids absorb larger shares of renewable power and demand for peak shaving and flexibility rises, LFP technology has become a mainstream choice because of its cost and safety profile. For Chinese suppliers, this creates an opportunity to move beyond component exports toward system-level solutions, while capturing a larger share of the global energy-storage value chain.
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