A participant experiences an electric vehicle at the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, on July 17, 2025. Photo: Chen Tao/GT

At the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE)’s Smart Vehicle Supply Chain Zone, more than 30 Chinese and foreign enterprises and institutions showcased key technologies and products across the new-energy vehicle (NEV) supply chain, highlighting collaborative innovation. From iron ore to smart systems, participating companies showcased global close collaboration in the NEV sector.

Rio Tinto showcased iron ore at the CISCE, which is processed into high-strength steel for vehicle bodies by companies such as China Baowu Steel Group Corp. 

“This year, we are once again partnering with Baowu at the third CISCE, presenting a comprehensive display of industry-related products, solutions, and the achievements of global industrial cooperation exemplified by the Western Range and Simandou iron ore projects, as well as our latest practices in low-carbon transition,” said Rio Tinto in a statement sent to the Global Times.

“Baowu is transitioning from a raw material supplier to a solutions provider. Amid the industry’s transformation, open cooperation and ecosystem co-creation have become central themes,” Zhao Chunhui, chief engineer of automobile sheet technical services at Baowu, told the Global Times.

At the CISCE, Baowu presented a fifth-generation integrated pure electric vehicle (EV) body-in-white – where the car body’s frame is assembled before painting.

The joint exhibition of Rio Tinto and Baowu was not an isolated case. At this year’s CISCE, numerous upstream and downstream enterprises jointly exhibited, showcasing broader supply chain collaboration. 

Changsha-headquartered SpeedBot Robotics Co displayed its self-developed paint surface defect detection technology alongside automakers such as Xpeng and Geely, a booth representative told the Global Times.

At the Shaanxi Automotive Intelligent Supply Chain Area, 15 enterprises, including automakers such as Shaanxi Automobile Group, BYD, Geely, and Zhizi Automobile, alongside key component suppliers like HanDe Axle and FinDreams Battery, participated in the expo, covering critical segments of the NEV supply chain, such as the three core electric systems (battery, motor, and electronic control) and vehicle manufacturing, a representative from the Shaanxi exhibition zone told the Global Times.

Various NEV industry clusters also set up dedicated exhibition zones, including Guizhou Province, Guangdong Province, and Liyang City in Jiangsu Province. They displayed a complete NEV ecosystem, spanning basic raw materials like rubber and copper foil, core components such as tires, power systems, steering, and suspension systems, to finished NEVs and related services like charging piles.

In terms of global collaboration and localized development, many multinational companies also showcased their solutions.

Tesla exhibited its development in EV manufacturing, energy storage systems, intelligent driver assistance and local supply chain at the expo.

“China boasts a complete EV supply chain, with local suppliers’ top-tier technical expertise and rapid response capabilities providing robust support for enterprises. We look forward to deepening our mutually beneficial partnerships with Chinese suppliers through the CISCE, jointly setting global green supply chain standards, and exploring AI-driven innovations in smart manufacturing and EVs,” said Tao Lin, vice president of Tesla, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Bosch, a global supplier of automotive technology and services, showcased its localized innovations in energy systems, intelligent motion control, and driver assistance systems. According to a company statement, Bosch said it will continue collaborating with local partners in China to build a more resilient, flexible, and globally oriented smart mobility supply ecosystem.

Apart from supply chain collaboration, enterprises also showcased their latest innovations and debuted new products at the CISCE.

For example, Sinochem Holdings Corp showcased ColorForm, an in-mold painting process that enables "one-step molding" of automotive interior and exterior parts, revolutionizing the traditional spraying process, the company said in a statement to the Global Times.

Chinese battery materials maker BTR New Material Group unveiled a long-range graphite anode solution, overcoming bottlenecks in silicon-based anode material applications. Graphite is the most common anode for commercial lithium-ion batteries. The new solution paves the way for enhancing the range of electric vehicles, as it can extend battery life by 20 percent, a technician of BTR told the Global Times at the company’s booth.

The expo also highlighted cross-industry synergy. Black Sesame Technologies’ technician told the Global Times that the company’s chips – originally designed for assisted driving in automobiles – can also power humanoid robots, serving as their “brain” and “cerebellum.”

Various examples at the CISCE highlighted the NEV industry’s collaborative breakthroughs, driving a deeply integrated, mutually beneficial ecosystem for a more resilient and far-reaching future.

Zhang Yejia, General Manager of the Center for Automobile Industry Research of CCID Consulting, told the Global Times that the CISCE showcased global automakers’ close division of labor and collaboration under market dynamics. 

“As international cooperation between Chinese and foreign automakers deepens, the NEV industry will continue to play a vital role in addressing global climate change and driving green, low-carbon transformation,” said Zhang.